November 28, 2002 (KIRUNA, Sweden) – Cristian Zorzi used a strong finishing kick Sunday help Italy win the men's season-opening World Cup cross-country ski relay.

Zorzi beat Norway's Thomas Alsgaard by a tenth of a second in the 40-kilometer mixed-style event held north of the Arctic Circle.

The Italian team finished in 1 hour, 35 minutes, 56.8 seconds. Giorgio Di Centa and Fulvio Valbusa skied the classic-style 10K legs. Pietro Piller Cottrer and Zorzi skied the freestyle laps.

Zorzi lost a similar stretch duel to Alsgaard by three-tenths of a second in the Olympic relay at Soldier Hollow, Utah.

“I've been around for 10 years and I'm not surprised. Today Italy got its revenge. I'm glad it happened here and not in Val d'Fiemme,” said Alsgaard, referring to the World Nordic Ski Championships to be held early next year in northern Italy.

Kristen Skjeldal, Anders Aukland and Tor Arne Hetland skied the other legs for Norway. Germany's Andreas Schlutter, Axel Teichmann, Tobias Angerer and Rene Sommerfeldt, finished third, 2.3 seconds behind Italy.

In the women's 20-kilometer mixed-style relay, Norway's Anita Moen, Bente Skari, Maj Helen Sorkmo and Vibeke Skofterud beat Olympic champion Germany buy more than 45 seconds with a winning time of 53:52.9.