The Swede and the Norwegian rejoice after 70 km in Cavalese for the gran Fondo of Val di Fiemme and Fassa which has once again confirmed its magic
Two Scandinavians conquered the 50th edition of the Marcialonga, a celebration of people, effort and color, on a day to remember, with the Fassa and Fiemme valleys whitewashed to host over seven thousand cross-country skiers from 36 nations, perfect snow, blue skies, sun and many fans. The Swede Emil Persson and the Norwegian Magni Smedaas triumphed after the 70 kilometers to be faced with the classic technique.
The race was decided in the last kilometer on the unprecedented “Mur de la Stria” climb with stretches of up to 20%. Persson remained in the group then gave a vigorous boost before entering the straight at Cavalese to close victorious with 2h 48’57”, with a second over his Norwegian rival Tord Asle Gjerdalen. First among the Italians the South Tyrolean Dietmar Noeckler, 30th. The last blue to win was Fulvio Valbusa in 2000, this time stopped at the last gate in Molina where he arrived two minutes late on the regulation time. “I don’t think I’ve ever spent so much time on skis – said the Olympian -. All these hours, however, it was nice because I left on the 760 and practically 8,000 people passed me.
Smedaas celebrated his first victory in the Ski Classics circuit at the Marcialonga, finishing in 3h 14′. Thirty-second place for Rebecca Bergagnin from Belluno, first among the blues.
Couple
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The Swedish winner comments: “I’m really happy, winning this race is a great satisfaction. To cross the finish line first was fantastic. Skiing here is beautiful, the atmosphere is magical. This result of mine is excellent for keeping the leader’s yellow bib, it gives more points and therefore Marcialonga represents an important race to win”. And the winner: “The race was very nice. The weather was perfect, I took my time to look at the scenery and enjoy the mountains. I tried to save as much energy as possible so that I could have a grand finale and I’m really happy that things turned out just as I planned. It’s my first win, so for me and my team it’s a great day, I’m really happy for my team too. Winning the 50th edition of Marcialonga is something special, I love this race and it was my big goal of the season. To be able to win was really fantastic.”
January 29, 2023 (change January 29, 2023 | 21:14)
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