Dellagiacoma and Boccardi 9th in the 10 km classic races that open the Madona World Championships. The Norwegians get off to a flying start

The Madona World Championships get underway with the 10 km classic races, featuring interval starts.

On the asphalt of the Latvian venue, the opening event immediately had a Norwegian flavor, with Ragnhild Aarekol winning the women’s senior race: she beat Poland’s Aleksandra Kolodziej by just 3” and Estonia’s Keidy Kaasiku by 11”, while Maria Eugenia Boccardi was the top Italian in ninth place, 56” behind and well ahead of the second Italian, Anna Maria Ghiddi, who finished 18th (more than 2’ behind).

At junior level, Ukraine’s Sofiia Shkatula edged favorite Matilda Grahn of Sweden by a couple of seconds, with Estonia’s Gerda Kivil taking bronze (at 22”); Maria Invernizzi was 18th, 2’30” behind the winner, with her sister Aurora 24th and Nicole Falanelli in 27th place.

In the youth event for the boys, Slovenia’s Tine Sporn triumphed over Stefan Kivil, who was beaten by 1”4, with Sweden’s Ville Jutterdal completing the podium; Stefano Epis took eighth place, finishing 1’08” behind.

Finally, the men’s premier race saw a Norwegian one-two led by Andreas Bergsland, who put 45” into national teammate Amund Korsaeth: Germany’s Thomas Bing was third, with Tommaso Dellagiacoma 9th (at 1’39”) and the top Italian in a classification that saw Giovanni Lorenzetti finish 13th and Riccardo Lorenzo Masiero 20th.