Piancavallo crowns Kilian Jornet Burgada and Mireia Mirò Varela Vertical World Champions. Spain wins two gold medals in the Vertical Race. Today, too, Italy takes the entire cadet podium with Federico Nicolini, Luca Faifer and Gianluca Vanzetta. Silvia Piccagnoni takes bronze again. The two espoirs, Antonioli and Boscacci, take silver and bronze.
In Valcellina this morning the athletes of the World Championships woke up to a landscape once again covered in white. The first Vertical Race on the programme was the one reserved for young athletes. The Cadets and Juniors set off at ten o’clock sharp. Twenty minutes later the girls of the youth categories started racing, followed by the women and men of the senior category. The course, obviously uphill only, had a vertical gain of 540 metres and started from the Busa del Sauc, climbing towards the Rifugio Tremol. The Organising Committee had planned a section on foot just after the Rifugio Arneri.
Among the seniors, the race was decided just after the section on foot; leading until the transition at the base of the section on foot was Frenchman Yannick Buffet, chased at twenty seconds by Kilian Jornet Burgada, William Bom Mardion. In fourth place was Italy’s Damiano Lenzi. The Spaniard overtakes Buffet, who had some trouble attaching his skis to his backpack. Higher up, the fog enveloped the finish banner. Kilian emerges from the clouds alone and crosses the finish line with a time of 24.44. Buffet is second, just four seconds off the gold medal. The other Frenchman, William Bon Mardion, is third with 25.15. Damiano Lenzi is fourth once again, just sixteen seconds off the bronze medal.
In the women’s race, there are two girls who can hang the gold medal around their necks: Spain’s Mireia Mirò Varela and France’s Laetitia Roux. The Spaniard takes off at full throttle and leaves her friend Roux no chance to respond. Mireia Mirò Varela reaches the Rifugio Tremol in 27.34, relegating Roux to second place exactly one minute behind. Third place surprisingly goes to Spain’s Gemma Arrò. Italy’s Corinne Clos is ninth.
Among the young athletes, the junior category is won by Switzerland’s Alan Tisseres, who takes his revenge on Anton Palzer. The Swiss wins in 26.03, with the German just under a minute behind. The third place is fought out in a sprint between Philipp Reiter, and Idris Hirsch. Hirsch gets the better of it and stops the clock at 28.15. For the Italian colours, Stefano Stradelli is sixth and Michele Pedergnana is eighth.
In the cadet category, the boys coached by Nicola Invernizzi no longer want to step off the podium: this morning too, Federico Nicolini, Luca Faifer and Gianluca Vanzetta took gold, silver and bronze.
Among the junior women, Silvia Piccagnoni confirms her bronze medal once again. Axelle Mollaret takes gold, and Jennifer Fiechter silver. Alessandra Cazzanelli is unable to put her health problems behind her and finishes in fifth place.
In the cadet women’s race, France’s Louise Borgnet wins, while Giorgia Dalla Zanna is fourth. Tomorrow morning, again on the snow of Piancavallo, the Sprint race will be held, starting at 9 am.
Senior Men: 1. Kilian Jornet (SPA), 24.44; 2. Yannik Buffet (FRA), 24.88; 3. William Bon Mardion (FRA), 25.15.
Senior Women: 1. Mireia Mirò (SPA), 27.34; 2. Laetitia Roux (FRA), 28.34; 3. Gemma Arrò (SPA), 30.41.
Espoir Men: 1. Marc Pinsac (SPA), 25.39; 2. Robert Antonioli (ITA), 26.24; 3. Michele Boscacci (ITA), 26.34.
Espoir Women: 1. Mireia Mirò (SPA), 27.34; 2. Victoria Kreuzer (SWISS), 34.02; 3. Sandrine Favre (FRA), 34.11.
Cadet Men: 1. Federico Nicolini (ITA), 28.55; 2. Luca Faifer (ITA), 29.59; 3. Gianluca Vanzetta (ITA), 30.13.
Cadet Women: 1. Louise Borgnet (FRA), 36.09; 2. Lara Balet (SPA), 39.00; 3. Ina Forchthammer (Aut), 41.22.
Junior Men: 1. Alan Tisséres (SUI), 26.03; 2. Anton Palzer (GER), 27.01; 3. Idris Hirsch (FRA), 28.15.
Junior Women: 1. Axelle Mollaret (FRA), 33.12; 2. Jennifer Fiechter (SWISS), 34.08; 3. Silvia Piccagnoni (ITA), 34.28.
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