Südtirol Skiroll Festival: Graz edges out Korostelev and Barp in the 10 km classic. Gismondi beats Nepryaeva and De Martin Pinter

Anterselva and Dobbiaco, two of the world capitals of skiing, monopolized the Italian cross-country skiing weekend. They did so with the unprecedented Südtirol Skiroll Festival, the first round of the Coppa Italia Rode in cross-country skiing, an event that brought together two authentic temples of Nordic skiing and delivered high-level races, important indications and several interesting confirmations ahead of the winter season.

Yesterday the challenge took place in Anterselva; today the setting moved to the Nordic Arena in Dobbiaco, a World Cup and Tour de Ski venue for years, where the athletes competed in the individual 10 km classic-technique race.

In the senior men’s sprint, emerging athlete Marco Pinzani, born in 2000 in Tarvisio and representing Fiamme Gialle, made his mark. He is a name to keep an eye on: Pinzani won silver in the 20 km at the World Junior Championships in Lillehammer. His triumph was even more significant because two Olympic relay medallists, Davide Graz and Elia Barp, finished behind him, giving Fiamme Gialle an all yellow-and-green podium.

Among the women, the young Italian athletes confirmed that they are making great strides. Victory went to Federica Cassol, also born in 2000 and representing CS Esercito, ahead of Nadine Laurent of Fiamme Oro, born in 2003, and Iris De Martin Pinter (2004, Centro Sportivo Carabinieri).

Today, at the Nordic Arena, it was Maria Gismondi’s day. The Fiamme Oro cross-country skier, coming off an Olympic season affected by toxoplasmosis, sent out a very strong signal: the desire for redemption is already racing again on roller skis. Gismondi dominated the 10 km, beating Dariya Nepryaeva, the Russian competing under the AIN designation who was admitted to the Olympics, by 23"6.

Starting last, Nepryaeva was never able to challenge the race of the skier from Subiaco in Lazio, who set an unsustainable pace for all her rivals from the first kilometres. Iris De Martin Pinter again took the third step of the podium, capping an outstanding weekend with two third-place finishes. It was almost a home race for her, as she comes from nearby Padola, in Comelico. Iris was unable to keep up with the Russian, but enjoyed the satisfaction of finishing ahead of Caterina Ganz (Fiamme Gialle).

In the men’s race, Davide Graz put his name to the 10 km victory. His fluidity on roller skis is well known, and today the Fiamme Gialle skier turned it into a performance of great authority. Graz pushed hard, imposing his own pace and finishing ahead of Russian AIN athlete Korostelev by 2"2. Elia Barp was third, 2"9 behind, completing another outstanding day for Fiamme Gialle.

The races were also closely followed by the new cross-country skiing competition director, Michel Rainer, one of the driving forces behind this special format of the Coppa Italia Rode: a summer competition that brings cross-country skiing onto roller skis and allows athletes to compete during the warm season in a high-level racing environment.

Further victories bearing the Fiamme Gialle name came in the youth categories. Daniel Pedranzini and Vanessa Cagnati won among the Under-20s, while Lucia Delfino (FFGG) and Leonardo Brondello (FFOO) took victory in the other categories.

The Coppa Italia Rode format is now well established: athletes compete together on roller skis in summer and on snow in winter, in a racing pathway that accompanies them throughout the season. Today’s race took place on Dobbiaco’s renewed roller-ski track, which in some sections faithfully reproduces the course of the Nordic Arena’s winter World Cup track.

Three laps were required to complete the 10 kilometres of the senior race, while the younger women’s categories tackled 7.5 km. It was a demanding, technical and selective course that allowed the athletes to experience sensations very similar to those they will encounter on snow.

There was great satisfaction at the end of the day for Gerti Taschler, president of the Sport OK Dobbiaco organizing committee. "It was an intense weekend for us, even though we are accustomed to working on snow. I thank the Anterselva committee: by joining forces, we truly brought this Südtirol Skiroll Festival to life, and it provided important indications".

Taschler also looks proudly at the renewed track: "We are pleased with the work that has been done. We can now offer training opportunities to all Italian and foreign teams. When the athletes are satisfied, so are we, especially because behind all this there is the immense work of so many volunteers". The satisfaction was made even greater by the presence of FISI president Flavio Roda: "It gratified us enormously".

Now, however, there is no time to stop. Dobbiaco is already looking ahead to winter: "We will now get to work for the intense winter season, which will culminate with the three-day World Cup event at the end of January".