NEWS
TOUR DE SKI
Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th January: the fateful dates of the Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme are just around the corner. Tomorrow the dances start with the 15 km CT Mass Start in Lago di Tesero and Sunday come to a head with the inimitable 10 km FT of the Final Climb. Val di Fiemme offers a track in perfect conditions, while a new snowfall is expected.
The 15 km in classic technique is the first race of the weekend on the snows of Fiemme and will be a ‘test’ to which one must pay a lot of attention, words of Cristian Zorzi. The champion and former cross-country skier from Moena has his say on the distance race in Lago di Tesero: "If I were in the shoes of the best, especially of those who want to win, I would aim to set a good pace right away and distance the direct opponents. There are six laps and they will have to be managed with great tactical skills, plus there is the unknown factor of the snow".
After the intense 15 km, it will be time for the big event of the weekend: the Final Climb. Jürg Capol is the inventor of the Tour de Ski and was the first to strongly believe in the project of climbing the Alpe Cermis, which initially, 18 years ago, not everyone appreciated. "The Final Climb is a little gem. Cross-country skiing was lacking something really special, and being able to propose a unique format like this was a good move".
The spotlight will be on the two leaders of the general classification: the American Jessie Diggins and the Norwegian Harald Östberg Amundsen will defend their glittering gold bibs tooth and nail. Behind the American are well placed Niskanen (FIN) and Sundling (SWE), while on the men's side it is Norwegian dominance behind Amundsen with Dönnestad and Nyenget.
Concerning the Italian athletes, Federico Pellegrino is currently 8th at 2'22", Ventura 35th at 7'11", Barp 36th at 7'20", Salvadori 37th at 7'20", Daprà 44th at 9'11" and Noeckler 51st at 11'15", and among the women Ganz 27th at 6'11" and finally Comarella 32nd at 7'41".
For Italy, after the many retirements among the Italian national team, they are relaying on the captain Federico Pellegrino who dreams a good placement, but is aware that he will have to defend himself in the coming days: “In the formats of Val di Fiemme I cannot make up much, perhaps it would have been even better not to take part in the final stages of the Davos sprint, which preceded a tough 20 km where I paid a lot. The calendar proposes this, so even if I am a little regretful I can only take note of it and do what I can to the best of my ability'.
The appointment, on the track judged to be the hardest of the World Cup circuit, is for tomorrow at 11:30 am with the start of the women 15 km, followed by the men’s race at 3:25 pm. The changing weather conditions will put the skimen to the test, in the first season without the use of fluor. Sunday afternoon's grand finale with the Final Climb that will decide the winners of this 18th edition of the Tour de Ski: the men's 10 km FT will start at 2:30 pm and the women's at 3:45. Needless to say, you have to be there because the atmosphere at the cross-country stadium and on the ramps of the Olimpia III slope at Cermis is simply unmissable. Otherwise, more than 15 live TV broadcasts all over the world will guarantee a live view of the event.
At 11 a.m. on Sunday will start the Rampa con i Campioni, an open race on the same track as the 'pros'. At the start there will be Justyna Kowalczyk, four times first in the Tour de Ski, but also Katerina Neumannova and Antonella Confortola. For the public, as always in Val di Fiemme, free access.
© Newspower
