Un final dramatique
La troisième course populaire du circuit Ski Classics s'est déroulée ce matin dans le magnifique canton des Grisons, enfin décoré par la neige.
Tous les meilleurs spécialistes mondiaux étaient évidemment au départ avec notamment le Suédois Bill Impola qui va s'envoler seul en tête après une quinzaine de kilomètres de course.
Impola, en grande forme, creuse les écarts et semble filer vers la gagne avant de se tromper de piste à 1.5km de l'arrivée. Un fait de course qui lui coutera la victoire. Il terminera dépité, hors du Top 25.
Finalement cette Diagonala 2015 se jouera au sprint avec un petit groupe de Norvégiens qui sera règlé au sprint par Oystein Pettersen. Un ancien adepte des distances courtes reconverti sur les longues.
Pettersen fête son premier succès dans une épreuve Ski Classics et devance sur la ligne ses compatriotes Callesen et Dahl.
...
Encore une arrivée au sprint sur la course féminine avec un succès à l'arrachée pour la Japonaise Masako Ishida devant la gagnante de la Jizerska Katerina Smutna et la locale Seraina Boner.
Prochaine épreuve de la série, la fameuse Marcialonga.
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Les réactions :
"After the first lap I increased the tempo and suddenly I got a 15-20 second gap. Then I just continued and the gap increased. Then suddenly I was stopped by a team staff telling me I was going on the wrong track. However now I know I can win these races in the future, and I would like to thank Team United Bakeries for the way they treated me after the finish. Now I look forward Marcialonga! " says Bill Impola, Team Coop. (photo ci-dessous)
"It was a dramatic race today, it began in the morning when due to last night heavy snowfall, the risk for avalanches forced the organizers to change the already remade course, and it is of course sad that a misstake should decide the race.
Bill Impola showed impressive strength today, however the race is decided on the finish line and it is the skiers responsibility to know the track. From Ski Classics we will of course also discuss with the organizers how to make sure the track is clearly marked, so mistakes will not happen in the future.
In addition we have two disqualifications for skating in the elite men, so this was a dramatic Saturday. La Diagonela is a fantastic race and the orginzers have done a great work last week securing the event." says David Nilsson, director Ski Classics.
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La vidéo de la course
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TOP 5 WOMEN
FINISH 43 KM (FINISH)
| # | country | name | team | time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  |
MASAKO ISHIDA | UNBA | 02:23:58.00 |
| 2 |  |
KATEŘINA SMUTNÁ | SILV | 02:24:00.80 |
| 3 |  |
SERAINA BONER | COOP | 02:24:01.00 |
| 4 |  |
BRITTA JOHANSSON NORGREN | SKIP | 02:27:07.10 |
| 5 |  |
LAILA KVELI | SANT | 02:27:35.60 |
...
TOP 25 MEN
FINISH 43 KM (FINISH)
| # | country | name | team | time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |
ØYSTEIN PETTERSEN | UNBA | 02:03:11.20 |
| 2 | |
CHRISTOFFER CALLESEN | LEAS | 02:03:14.10 |
| 3 | |
JOHN KRISTIAN DAHL | UNBA | 02:03:15.00 |
| 4 | |
MORTEN EIDE PEDERSEN | COOP | 02:03:15.30 |
| 5 | |
PETTER ELIASSEN | LEAS | 02:03:15.50 |
| 6 | |
TORD ASLE GJERDALEN | SANT | 02:03:17.80 |
| 7 | |
ANDERS AUKLAND | SANT | 02:03:18.00 |
| 8 |  |
BRUNO DEBERTOLIS | TXLS | 02:03:38.90 |
| 9 | |
VETLE THYLI | UNBA | 02:04:19.40 |
| 10 | |
ARNE POST | UNBA | 02:04:22.70 |
| 11 |  |
ALEXEY DVOSKIN | RUSM | 02:04:25.30 |
| 12 |  |
STANISLAV ŘEZÁČ | SILV | 02:04:33.20 |
| 13 | |
ANDERS SÖDERGREN | LEAS | 02:04:44.10 |
| 14 | |
JENS ERIKSSON | SANT | 02:04:50.30 |
| 15 | |
JØRGEN AUKLAND | SANT | 02:05:07.00 |
| 16 | |
ANDERS HØST | LYNS | 02:05:39.40 |
| 17 | |
KALLE GRÄFNINGS | SBER | 02:05:40.40 |
| 18 | |
OSKAR SVÄRD | COOP | 02:05:48.10 |
| 19 |  |
ANTTI LAMPINEN | PELT | 02:05:49.70 |
| 20 | |
FREDRIK BYSTRÖM | L157 | 02:06:05.60 |
| 21 | |
IVAN ARTEEV | RUSM | 02:06:37.30 |
| 22 | |
DANIEL TYNELL | TTYN | 02:06:43.20 |
| 23 | |
MATTIAS FORSBERG | N/A | 02:07:10.90 |
| 24 | |
STIAN GRANN | N/A | 02:07:11.60 |
| 25 | |
KLAS NILSSON | MILA | 02:07:41.00 |