At the Scarpa Stralivigno race, held today in the "Little Tibet" - celebrating the 20th edition with over 1200 participants and a warm sun to warm up the atmosphere - Lucien Epiney dedicates the victory to Venezuela, with the writing "Hands off Venezuela” on his t-shirt, to denounce the difficult conditions of South American country:" Third time for me at Stralivigno, last year I concluded in a second position, but this time I’ve gained the first place. The race ended in the best way, because the first athlete had an unexpected injury. It was my lucky day." The Swiss is indeed "born with a silver spoon in his mouth" because the Italian athlete Massimiliano Zanaboni, three kilometers from the finish line, with the victory in his pocket, being able to count on 40 seconds of advantage, fell in the Tagliede area, and forced him to stop. Epiney has thus won it over Stefano Sansi and Michele Azzoni in a Stralivigno that, to celebrate the twentieth anniversary, has set up a spectacular hallway in the town center among the cheering crowd that welcomed the runners.
Among the women, the road was clear for Eliana Patelli - author of a superlative time – that has been training in Livigno like so many other athletes to prepare for the racing season: “I feel to be home here, and I really wanted to do a good race because I have been training for ten years in Livigno, I ran it in 2016 and today I concluded with almost three minutes less. What is Livigno for an athlete? Tranquility and serenity and the safety that an athlete needs, here is everything you need, great food and great air, in short, all the ingredients to best prepare your training". The Bergamo’s athlete didn’t leave any chance for Simona Fazzini and Elena Lanfranconi (from Livigno) who lingered for about ten minutes.
Speaking about the relay race, the athletes had to face 10.5 kilometers each of the 21km overall, and the Tuscans Angelo Rocco Pezzuto and Giorgio Scialabra ended up ahead of Francesco and Claudio Guglielmetti: "The race worked out well - says Pezzuto. - We wanted to have a nice training weekend here in Livigno and we combined everything with an excellent performance". Third is the couple composed by Christian and Davide Lucchini. Twelfth instead the relay race couple of the biathlon champion (one gold, one silver and four bronze medals at the World Championships) Kaisa Leena Mäkäräinen, practically on the same line with the Bergamo team before the change, who ran together with her boyfriend Jarkko Siltakorpi.
Kaisa said: "I enjoyed it, I will stay here for a week, but I didn’t come here for a full training, I was just searching on the internet "what happens in Livigno" and so I chose to participate in the relay race together with my boyfriend. I have never competed in a running event of this range, not even in Finland”
Livigno is the paradise of altitude training and many athletes have competed at the Scarpa Stralivigno as a completion of their training. Several Livigno Team athletes were present such as the biathlete Thomas Bormolini, 7th in the relay with a friend: “It has been a preparation test for me, I am satisfied. I improved the time of three years ago", the ironman Giulio Molinari (8th): "It’s a training period of both qualitative and quantitative level, It has been a tough test and I had to race with well trained athletes. I will compete first in Poland and then in Sweden, before the Icon race in Livigno, and Rudy Zini (12th): "I really enjoyed the new course, it was hard, it was quite hot but there was still a bit of wind. Luckily there was no shooting otherwise I would not have taken anyone!". Thus ends a beautiful page of trail running in Livigno, and soon will be inaugurated also the brand new athletics track in construction in the Aquagranda Active You Center, expanding the sports facilities available to the best athletes in the world in the altitude training paradise.
21K Male
1 Epiney Lucien Switzerland Sui 01:16:52; 2 Sansi Stefano G.S. C.S.I. Morbegno Ita 01:18:55; 3 Azzoni Michele Atl. Lecco-Colombo Ita 01:19:56; 4 Varis Kari Ylikuntomatkat Fin 01:20:30; 5 Majori Andrea Atl. Alta Valtellina Ita 01:21:02; 6 Gala Fabio Atletica Brescia Ita 01:21:03; 7 Beltrame Tobia Caivano Runners Ita 01:21:30; 8 Molinari Giulio Run Card Ita 01:21:48; 9 Rocchi Marco Atletica Mds Ita 01:22:16; 10 Penone Michele G.P. Santi Nuova Olonio Ita 01:24:18
21K Female
1 Patelli Eliana La Recastello Radici Ita 01:30:56; 2 Fazzini Simona Premana Ita 01:38:15; 3 Lafranconi Elena Run Card Ita 01:41:34; 4 Aprile Katia Asd Castelraider Ita 01:42:51; 5 Giana Marcella G.S.A. Cometa Ita 01:44:05; 6 Bizzozero Valeria G.A.P. Saronno Ita 01:44:27; 7 Tedesco Ilaria Run Card Ita 01:45:49; 8 Ferro Giorgia Maremontana A.S.D. Ita 01:46:28; 9 Hansen Dina Erika Nesoden If Nor 01:46:57; 10 Mazzucchelli Paola Atl. Paratico Ita 01:47:19
Relay Race
1 Pezzuto Rocco Angelo/Scialabba Giorgio - G.P.Parco Alpi Apuane Ita 1:18:50; 2 Guglielmetti Francesco/Guglielmetti Claudio - Guglie Brothers Ita 1:19:21; 3 Lucchini Christian/Lucchini Davide Ita 1:21:42; 4 Colangelo Mirko/Villa Andrea - Gruppo Ethos Running Ita 1:21:56; 5 Cusini Christian/Cusini Nicolò Ita 1:22:22; 6 Bertini Simone/Compagnoni Elisa Ita 1:23:07; 7 Sosio Mattia/Bormolini Thomas Ita 1:26:08; 8 Dusci Riccardo/Mandelli Stefano - Marathon Club Ita 1:27:22; 9 Barbieri Marco/Barbieri Francesco - Atletica Alto Lario Ita 1:27:47; 10 Diotti Davide/Treachi Bruno - Atletica Brescia Ita 1:28:36
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