Cross Country Skiing - Long Distances
At the end of a competition characterized by generous and solo breaks attacks, the 44th edition of La Marcialonga crowned for the third consecutive year the Norwegian Tord Asle Gjerdalen. Among women unexpected conclusion, with Katerina Smutna able to manage the sprint Swedish Norgren.
Monday 30 January 2017 13 minutes reading time
For the fourth time in less than a month the athletes of Visma Ski Classics circuit wore the bib, facing each other in the Marcialonga of Fiemme and Fassa. Having come to terms with the weather, in recent years often unforgiving in terms of snowfall, the route was shortened by 70km canons to 57.
The completely artificial track was in good condition, thanks to the work of the preparatory and low temperatures that have characterized the second half of January.
As usual in the Ski Classics circuit, the Pro Team athletes are games with a quarter of an 'hour' advance on men and, as usual, the pace was dictated by dominating from the start of this season Britta Johansson Norgren and Katerina Smutna. The Swedish specifically dictated the pace for most of the race, with Smutna glued to queues and Astrid Oeyre Slind, Sara Lindborg and Aurélie Dabudyk to resist until the 20th kilometer.
Hence the leading pair greeted the trio gaining ground regularly. The situation remained unchanged until the fortieth kilometer, when the trio of pursuers came off the Dabudyk French. the climb All''attacco the waterfall, at 2,5km from the finish line, passed through two pairs 4 minutes a dall''altra: Smutna Norgren and to fight for the victory and Lindborg Oeyre Slind to fight for third place. The lowest step of the podium was soon assigned with Lindborg able to pull firmly on the Norwegian rival, the highest it has been conquered by surprise by the Czech Santader Team, the success for the fourth time this season. How to Diagonela, Smutna attacked from a distance, accelerating tains final dell''ascesa. Unlike what happened last week, the Czech failed nell''intento to quit the race before the final straight, usually more favorable to Norgren. Surprisingly however, Smutna was able to anticipate the 'dell''avversaria attack, forced to close on its queues.
The men's competition was, as announced, the scene of generous attempts by various athletes. The first part of the race saw Thomas all''attacco Gifstad, athlete born 1992 Team Forever Nordic. The Norwegian has been in the lead up to the 25th kilometer, he built a maximum lead of forty seconds.
To close on him a small group of athletes led by Kjoelstad and Siemen Oestensen. The lead was composed of a dozen units until km 30, when the winner of Vasaloppet China and Kaiser Maximilian Lauf Andreas Nygaard went off, taking advantage of the supply of opponents.
His action, which seemed started as a "long sprint" for one of the valid sprints for the classification of Visma Ski Classics points, soon turned into a real escape. The Norwegian Team Santader has quickly accumulated a margin of half a minute, and has kept it intact until 12km from the arrival, when the group of pursuers has put aside the strategy and began working to close the fugitive. To the rear of the "train" you are hooked teammates Nygaard more famous, Tord Asle Gjerdalen and Anders Aukland.
Nygaard has withstood the lead up to 5 km from the arrival, when it was reached by the group led at that time by Stian Hoelgaard. The lead remained compact until the slope of the waterfall tains, where Gjerdalen clicked firmly. On its code only three Norwegian athletes were: Johan Kjoelstad, Morten Eide Pedersen and Anders Aukland.
While getting to the finish line first to break away was the veteran Aukland group, for the first time in the Top 5 quest''anno. The surviving trio was led by Pedersen up to 600m from the finish line. In correspondence of the first narrow passages between houses bronze in the 50km Oslo in 2011 he has relaunched its action, surpassing the younger rival and going to win his third consecutive Marcialonga.
dragging the Swedish since the final straight and being in a situation, however, had not been able to get rid of Sv
aterina Smutná and Tord Asle Gjerdalen Both from Team Santander takes the victory in the famous Long March ski race, better known as Marcialonga. The former has now three Visma Ski Classics race wins in a row and the latter has three consecutive victories Marcialonga Under His belt! The 44th edition of Marcialonga took place on a truncated course with a distance of 57 km. Many expected a fast-paced and uneventful race until the legendary waterfall climb to the finish, but three breakaways made the races a great and dramatic experience for all spectators who were Gathered around the course.In the women's race, Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 ski team, and Katerina Smutná, Santander team, broke away quite early on and kept Their own peace all the way to the finish. Smutná proved to be stronger again in the final hill and beat her opponent by 0.8 seconds. Behind them, Sara Lindborg, Serneke Team did a great job securing the third place, she Admitted Although being in a "blank zones" in the last hill. Norgren Said That she tried to keep up a fast peace from the beginning to make sure That no one could follow her except Smutná. That she succeeded in but she just did not have enough power and energy to claim the second straight victory in the legendary race. However, she remains the holder yellow bib after today. "I respected Britta's past victories in this race and the pace was high in the beginning When she was leading," the happy winner Smutná commented after the crossing the finish line. "The battle between Britta and I continues after this and the next step is in Toblach-Cortina. Luckily, we have a two-week break before that. "In the men's race, Thomas Gifstad, Forever Team Nordic, suprised everyone by breaking away after Canazei. He had His moment in the sun for quite a long time until the chasing group caught him up. The drama and excitement did not end there as Team Santander's Andreas Nygaard DECIDED to see how fast and far he could actually go before the others could get on His heels. That breakaway Lasted almost to the end, and right before the waterfall hill the chasing pack passed him.Then, it Became an epic battle between Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Johan Kjölstad, Team United Bakeries, and Morten Eide Pedersen, Team BN Bank. Gjerdalen Showed That everyone he knows how to win this magical race while Kjölstad was incendio push a little harder in the end and pass His countryman. They all Admitted to being completely out of power and energy in the end. "I was not nervous about my team mates' breakaway," Gjerdalen Admitted With His trademark sun glasses on. "It was part of our team tactics. I broke my pole in the beginning that's why I was a bit behind in the first control point. It was an easy race for me as I let Petter Eliassen and John Kristian Dahl and the guys do all the work When We Were catching up with Andreas. I had a free ride until the last hill and then I Knew it was my time again. "With three wins, Gjerdalen Marcialonga has become a true legend, but he insists That the title of" King of Marcialonga "should still go to Jörgen Aukland who has four victories and many more podium places in this great race. Gjerdalen may be hard to beat in the Visma Ski Classics overall competition and It Seems That he may be wearing the yellow bib for some time.The breakaway king Andreas Nygaard and Britta Johansson Norgren lead in the sprint categories while Stian Hoelgaard, LeasePlan Team, and Svenja Hoelzle, Team Synnfjell, are the youth category leaders after today's race. Team Santander has a strong lead over Team Lager 157 in the team competition.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Social media engagement
Più letti in Sport invernali
A Monza il GP d'Italia, con Tomba, Brignone e Sinner c'è anche Doro Wierer. Kimi Antonelli un ragazzo speciale
Nel paddock dell'atteso appuntamento con il Mondiale nel tempio della velocità, anche la campionissima del biathlon azzurro che ha raccontato a Sky Sport le sue emozioni da Formula 1 e di quanto si stia impegnando pochi mesi dopo il ritiro. Ho un mucchio di cose da fare, mi piace mettermi in gioco.
2