SIMEN ØESTENSEN (NOR) TRIUMPHS AT MARCIALONGA

Simen Østensen and Julia Tikhonova win the Italian ski-marathon

John Kristian Dahl and Jørgen Aukland (NOR) second and third

Swiss Boner ahead of Swedish Lofström on the podium

Italy’s Cerutti and Austrian Milazzi win the Light course

 

 

For the first time in career Simen Østensen ofNorwayand Julia Tikhonova ofRussiahave wonItaly’s Marcialonga in alpine valleys Fiemme and Fassa, today. Norwegian Dahl and Jørgen Aukland completed men’s podium, whilst Seraina Boner ofSwitzerlandand Annika Lofström ofSwedenclosed in second and third behind Tikhonova.

‘It’s fantastic, finally I made it – said today’s winner after the race – even if the track was particularly slow in the first half so I succeeded in leaving back the pack only before the eventual climb’. Under a light snowfall, 7000 skiers of all kinds, from long-distance superstars to cross country lovers, gathered at the start just outside the town ofMoena. After the first hour, a bunch of fifty Scandinavian, Czech, Russian and Italian skiers led the race, passed Canazei city centre and headed back to Moena and Predazzo. Nobody could make the decisive move for over 60 kilometres, until the 29-year old Østensen speeded up right before the town ofMolina di Fiemmeand created a little gap between him and the pack. Østensen began the Cascata climb (the very last 2k stretch before the finish line) 15 seconds before Jørgen and Anders Aukland, Daniel Tynell, John Kristian Dahl and Johan Kjølstad. Østensen kept pushing hard and stayed in the lead until the very end and timed 3h10’16”. Dahl sprinted in faster than Jørgen Aukland and grabbed silver medal.

As for women, Swiss favourite number one Seraina Boner kept the leadership for the first 35 kilometres, after which was overcome by Russian Julia Tikhonova who never showed weaknesses from then onwards and won her first ever Marcialonga after 3h27’54”. Boner, who admitted she’s been sick during the last few days, came in second followed bySweden’s Lofström.

Boner and Østensen are the new Swix Ski Classics leaders.

The Marcialonga Light race took place in the morning along a 45k course from Moena to Predazzo. The winners were the Italian Lorenzo Cerutti and Austrian Anna Maria Milazzi.

Info: www.marcialonga.it

 

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Results

70 km Men

1. Simen OESTENSEN NOR 03:10:16:1; 2. John Kristian DAHL NOR 03:10:28:8; 3. Jorgen AUKLAND NOR 03:10:29:1; 4. Johan KJOELSTAD NOR 03:10:29:3; 5. Anders AUKLAND NOR 03:11:02:7; 6. Bjornseth BERDAL Tore NOR 03:11:05:3; 7. Stanislav REZAC CZE 03:11:12:1; 8. Joergen BRINK SWE 03:11:14:9; 9. Christoffer CALLESEN NOR 03:11:21:8; 10. Daniel TYNELL SWE 03:11:33:9

 

70 km Ladies

1. Julia TIKHONOVA RUS 03:27:54:1; 2. Seraina BONER SUI 03:29:03:1; 3. Annika LOFSTROEM SWE 03:30:18:7; 4. Laila KVELI NOR 03:32:12:3; 5. Susanne NYSTROEM SWE 03:36:04:9; 6. Toftdahl STAVER Tuva NOR 03:37:33:1; 7. Nilsen INGER LIV Bjerkreim NOR 03:38:48:4; 8. Olga ROTCHEVA RUS 03:39:32:1; 9. Kristina ROBERTO SWE 03:40:54:6; 10. Tatiana JAMBAEVA RUS 03:41:16:1

 

45 km Men

1. Lorenzo CERUTTI ITA 02:12:23:1; 2. Christian ZORZI ITA 02:12:27:5; 3. Andrea GOLA ITA 02:16:44:1; 4. Aleksey BARANNIKOV RUS 02:21:46:6; 5. Matteo PELLEGRINO ITA 02:22:20:2

 

45 km Ladies

1. Anna Maria MILAZZI AUT 02:38:15:9; 2. Tereza POLAKOVA CZE 02:51:06:2; 3. Elisa GIANOLA ITA 02:52:30:2; 4. Jenny NYGAARD NOR 03:09:51:0; 5. Joelle Helene VICARI ITA 03:13:19:8