MARCIALONGA IN A MONTH

The Italian ski marathon Marcialonga in Val di Fiemme and Val di Fassa represents some sort of a milestone in the Worldloppet calendar. Entries close eight months ahead of the race day every year, and every year about 7,500 cross country skiers, pros and amateurs, join the event.

Next 28 January, Marcialonga will once again get on track and the man to beat will once again be Tord Asle Gjerdalen, the man who is very well known for his trademark aviator glasses and, above all, the Norwegian who has won the past three times. Olympic and World gold medallist, and Gjerdalen's countryman Anders Aukland also won Marcialonga twice (2004 and 2008), and so did Jerry Ahrlin ...plus one (2007, 2009, 2011). Along with these three superchampions, Jörgen Brink will show up at the start on 28 January, together with Toni Livers, Stanislav Rezác and Stian Hoelgaard, who sits in the second spot tied with Andreas Nygaard in the provisional overall Visma Ski Classics standings right behind Torgeir Skare Thygesen.

As mentioned above, Marcialonga is part of the Visma Ski Classics series and some more names are about to take part into the 2018 event, such as Ilya Chernusov and homeboys Bruno Debertolis, Mauro Brigadoi and Loris Frasnelli.

On the women side, Visma Ski Classics provisional overall leader Britta Johansson Norgren has already confirmed her presence. She won in 2016 and closed second last January. Her main opponents will be Katerina Smutna, Kari Vikhagen Gjeitnes, Astrid Oyre Slind, Sara Lindborg and Lina Korsgren.