Last week, with weather forecasts in hand, the difficult decision was made to postpone the two World Cup races. The decision could not have been wiser, as at that time Val Comelico and Sappada were experiencing a state of emergency and it would have been impossible to hold the races under such extraordinary conditions.
The new schedule provides for accreditation and bib distribution from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM on Thursday, February 6. The technical briefing presenting Friday morning’s Sprint race will take place at 6:00 PM in Sega Digon at the PalaPitturina.
Following the briefing, the top 5 male and female athletes competing the next day will be introduced.
The Sprint race will take place on Friday, February 7 on the snows of Sappada (Pista Nera), with qualifying heats starting at 9:00 AM and the finals at 11:00 AM. Lunch for athletes and team staff will be served at the PalaPlodn in Sappada.
In the afternoon, the World Cup caravan will move to Val Comelico, where at 5:00 PM in Dosoledo the opening ceremony will feature a parade of the teams accompanied by traditional valley masks and numerous sports associations.
At 7:15 PM, the top 5 World Cup athletes will take the stage, followed by the technical briefing for the individual race.
The Individual Race will start at 9:00 AM on Saturday, February 8; the Open race reserved for FISI members and the “Io c’ero a KM Zero” rally have also been confirmed. The awards ceremony will take place at 1:00 PM in Sega Digon.
La Pitturina Ski Race takes place in the natural amphitheater of Val Comelico and Sappada in the Venetian Dolomites—an extraordinary area where unspoiled nature offers superb backcountry routes and sweeping views of the Italian and Austrian Alps.
The mayor of Comelico Superiore, Mario Zandonella Necca, and the mayor of Sappada, Alberto Graz, strongly support La Pitturina, while regional councillor Dario Bond, a longtime friend of La Pitturina, has also played an active role in relations with the Veneto Region: “I have taken part in every edition,” said Bond, “and I will be present at this World Cup event as well. For Veneto, La Pitturina Ski Race represents excellence both in terms of organization and in promoting our territory. Moreover, it has been proven that in events like these, if we invest €100,000, the promotional return is nearly ten times greater.”
Rebecca Vernon, vice president of the ISMF—the international federation governing competitive ski mountaineering—states: “When we received La Pitturina’s bid,” said Vernon, “we had no hesitation in awarding it the World Cup stop; Val Comelico and Sappada have joined a calendar alongside major Alpine names such as Verbier and Courchevel.”
Roberto Bortoluzzi, president of the Veneto Regional Committee of FISI, once again confirmed the exponential growth of ski mountaineering numbers: “It is thanks to events like La Pitturina,” said Bortoluzzi, “that ski mountaineering can grow and gain greater visibility.”
Now all that remains is to hope for favorable weather conditions to kick off the great sporting spectacle offered by La Pitturina Ski Race.
For more information: www.lapitturina.it
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