Ils étaient 7200 fondeurs ce matin au départ sous le soleil de Moena. Tous prêts pour 70km en style classique avant de rejoindre Cavalese et la ligne d'arrivée.
La Marcialonga 2012 avait attiré tous les meilleurs spécialistes mondiaux sous les yeux des TV Norvégienne, Suédoise ou encore Italienne qui retransmettaient l'épreuve en direct.
Dès le départ les Scandinaves font le tempo et tout le monde s'installe en double poussée de bâton. Le travail du haut du corps est important et surtout prépondérant pour être capable de gagner ce style de course en classique.
La bataille pour la gagne s'est résumée à une affaire de spécialistes avec notamment le Team X'Tra des frères Aukland et de Ahrlin qui a fait grosse impression.
Joergen Aukland s'est détaché en fin de course durant la longue et interminable montée de 3km. Petit à petit il prend quelques mètres d'avance sur son frère Anders et tout les deux s'en vont vers un fabuleux doublé. Joergen Aukland coupe la ligne d'arrivée en 2'55"37 devant une foule impressionnante.
Son frère ainé Anders arrive avec 1.7sec de retard devant l'excellent Tchèque Stanislav Rezac. Le Suédois Jerry Ahrlin se classe 4e à 24sec et complète le triomphe d'un Team X'Tra qui va faire les gros titres en Norvège et en Suède.
Jimmi Johnsson (Suède) se classe 5e devant Joergen Brink, Nicola Morandini, Laugaland et Dammen. Petter Northug, pour sa première expérience sur une longue distance, termine au 10e rang à 1min18 du vainqueur. On trouve ensuite Kostner, Fredriksson, Naess, Östensen et Aasen.
"La dernière montée à été difficile contre les spécialistes. Pour la Vasaloppet, je dois augmenter la longueur de mes sorties mais sur ce que j'ai vu aujourd'hui je sais que ce sera difficile pour moi" a déclaré Northug à l'arrivée.
Benoit Chauvet prend la 50e place à 15min23. Pierre Chauvet termine 64e, Jocelyn David-Raison 82e et Amaury Boschat 120e.
La Suédoise Susanne Nystroem s'impose chez les dames en 3'23"20. Elle devance sa compatriote Jenny Hansson et l'Italienne Stephanie Santer, la belle soeur de Ole-Einar Bjoerndalen. La Norvégienne Kveli se classe 4e devant Confortola et Svendsen. A noter encore la belle 13e place de Katerina Neumanova.
Tous les classements ICI
Photos : Nordic Focus
Les réactions (source FIS) :
Joergen Aukland (NOR): It's fantastic to be the winner of the Marcialonga again! However, it didn't seem to be that way in the beginning when I soon lost ocntact to the leading group. A fall on the way back down to Moena didn't help either, but my team worked really well for me today. On the downhill part, I could catch some other racers and we went together while my skis got better and better and suddenly, when the leading group seemed to have made a full stop, we caught the remaining 30s and I was once again in the match. I saw that the others were already quite tired and I knew that I could still have a chance. I feared especially Rezac in the last steep uphill and was surprised that the others just let me go when I started my attack. However, I was only sure that I would win about 50m before the finish line! The last uphill is very special and you need to start training for it already in summer to get the right upper body strength. It's my third victory now and I will certainly come back next year to fight for the famous fourth one.
Anders Aukland (NOR): I am really satisfied with my second place today. The plan today was to start very hard as after the first 20km, not much happens until the last kilometres. So our team decided to attack right at the start to get a gap between us and the others. We worked really well together so that it was also possible for Joergen to join us again in the flat part. The Marcialonga is such a big cross country party and the atmosphere is amazing. For sur it's also great to have so many Norwegians taking part in the race. But no, Petter Northug didn't have too much influence in this race, even though we all put him together with about ten other people how could win today. Sure, it's a great feeling to be an Olympic 50km Champion, but this is long distance racing! Petter really wanted to win today, but marathon skiing is different! And in the Marcialonga, it's the strongest man who will be on the top! Petter just lost too much energy before arriving at the final climb. Surely he will be better at the Vasaloppet as the finish is different.
Stanislav Rezac (CZE):
I felt in good at the start this morning and I know that I am in good shape at the moment. However, I lost too much energy before the last climb, so I couldn't attack as I had planned. I still caught Jerry Ahrlin, but that was it – I wasn't able to fight for the victory. I stayed in Obertilliach after the Dolomitenlauf, but I will now get back home to my family before going to the König-Ludwig-Lauf. This is “my” race – I really like the finish, so I hope
I can be in front again there!
Susanne Nyström (SWE): It was an amazing feeling to pass the finish line as the first woman and to get the flower collar. Jenny and me we worked together very well the whole way through – only at the last uphill, everyone was on her own. I felt good at the start, but I wasn't sure what it would be worth as you never know what happens in such a long race. And the last climb is very special. Either you arrive in a good condition and you can win or not. When I arrived at the bottom today, I thought, I have a good chance to win so I went for it – and I got it! I am really happy!
