MARCIALONGA: FIS WORLD CUP VS VISMA SKI CLASSICS.

47th Marcialonga of Val di Fiemme and Fassa on Sunday in Trentino
Cologna, Roethe and Northug will compete against Eliassen, Gjerdalen and Persson
Today Marcialonga Baby, tomorrow Marcialonga Story, Stars, Mini and Young
Live coverage on Sky Sport and Sky Sport Arena from 7.40 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Marcialonga of Val di Fiemme and Fassa – with start from Moena and finish in Cavalese after facing the tough Cascata climb – will take place on Sunday 26th January.  In recent years, the level of the athletes taking part in this 70km ski-marathon has become higher and higher, also due to the double poling technique. The most loved cross-country ski race in the world will see many champions at the start, including Dario Cologna, Petter Northug and Sjur Roethe – current and former FIS Cross-Country World Cup athletes – who will compete against the Visma Ski Classics champions, who are more used to this type of effort and to long-distance races.
In the women’s race (start at 7.50 a.m.), Britta Johansson Norgren will have to deal with many strong athletes. She has lost the leadership in the circuit, but she is ready to try to get her third victory in a row in Val di Fiemme. She will start with bib number 101: "I’m not in perfect shape, but I hope I can fight for the victory. I think I’m an example for my daughter, a woman who knows how to manage a household and, at the same time, do sports at a high level". The Scandinavian will have to deal with her eternal rival Katerina Smutná (bib number 103), who is ready too: "I must say that Marcialonga is my favourite competition, I always come back to Val di Fiemme with pleasure. I'm ready. I like the atmosphere, the course, the people at Marcialonga. My advice for the 7,500 participants? Eat and drink well the day before". Attention, however, to the Norwegian Astrid Oyre Slind (leader of the Visma Ski Classics) and Kari Vikhagen Gjeitnes, and the other Swedes Lina Korsgren and Elin Mohlin, while among the Italians Chiara Caminada (Team Robinson Trentino) will try to enter the top 20.
In the men’s race (start at 8 a.m.), the favourite is Petter Eliassen (bib number 1), who has won the last edition: "I’m proud to be here but I'm getting nervous because it's a great event. Being one of the winners of Marcialonga is a special feeling". His teammate Tord Asle Gjerdalen will start with bib number 3 like in the editions he has won (2015, 2016, 2017): "It's the most important event of my season, I hope to have good skis, we will compete to win. My best memory? The last kilometre, a great feeling when you arrive to the finish line in first position". The Swede Emil Persson (Team Lager 157) comes back after the flu. There will be also the Czechs Stanislav Rezac and Jirí Rocárek, the world gold medallist Maksim Vylegzanin "accompanied" by the other Russians Ermil Vokuev, Aleksandr Panzinskij (Team Robinson Trentino) Olympic silver medallist, and Ilya Chernousov (bib number 20) who won Marcialonga in 2018: "I'm fine – he said – I hope to be at my best when the race starts. Marcialonga is special and unique: beautiful course, beautiful mountains and a beautiful atmosphere in the villages. All 7,500 athletes have fun and this is really important”. Among the Norwegians there are the climber Morten Eide Pedersen, who has changed team and improved a lot, and the other Team Ragde’s athletes Andreas Nygaard, the experienced Anders Aukland, Tore Bjoerseth Berdal, Chris Andre Jespersen, winner of the last Visma Ski Classics race, and Stian Hoelgaard, who is leading the Visma Ski Classics standings although he hasn’t won any race so far. Jan Antolec will be the "secret weapon" of the Poles. He has already competed in Val di Fiemme at the 2013 World Championships. Among the Swedes there will be Emil Persson, Anton Karlsson, Marcus Johansson and Oskar Kardin. Team Futura – a team from Trentino – will have two top athletes at the start, Alexander Legkov and Evgenj Dementiev, both Olympic gold medallists. Also Andrew Musgrave, from Great Britain, will take part in the race. As for the Italians there will be Roberto Passerini, Lorenzo Busin, Gilberto Panisi, Florian Cappello, Matteo Tanel, reigning rollerski world champion, Mauro Brigadoi, Francesco Ferrari, Simone Varesco, Mathias Defrancesco and Francesco Fuccaro, with Team Futura, Team Robinson Trentino and Team Sottozero being the favourite Italian teams.
The last 300 meters will be prepared with "green" artificial snow produced in the district heating plant of Cavalese from the wood waste of Vaia storm.
The Marcialonga weekend kicked off today with Marcialonga Baby for the very young skiers up to the age of six, while tomorrow there will be Marcialonga Story, the revival of cross-country skiing, the charity race Marcialonga Stars and the other youth events, Marcialonga 'Mini' and 'Young'. The long-distance race on Sunday will be broadcast on Sky Sport and Sky Sport Arena, from 7.40 a.m. to 12 p.m.

 

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