March 11, 2013 (Engadin, Switzerland) – On Friday evening Pierre Gudeon (FRA) placed third in the night sprint, but was accidentally given the cheque for first place. Maybe it was a sign? When a lead pack of over 20 racers came into the finish together at the end of the Engadin Skimarathon, the Frenchman played his sprinter’s card and finished first in front of Italy’s Critstian Zorzi who thought he had it in the bag – but there were still three metres to go to the finish line. Christioph Perrillat Collomb (FRA), got his foot over the line in front of Remo Fischer, the Swiss who won in Engadin in 2011. The men’s race was marked once again by a big elite group, which formed right at the beginning and didn’t change much during the race, with only a few athletes getting dropped due to the high pace.

With his 27th place today, Sergio Bonaldi wasn’t able to show his best, but this performance was still enough to gain the victory in the overall FIS Marathon Cup. His strongest contestant Benoit Chauvet from France finished 9th today and was therefore not able to close the gap between him and Bonaldi and to take over the overall which he already lead after his victory in La Transjurassienne in February.

On the women’s side, it looked relatively open in the beginning, with Roponen already pushing hard but with last year’s winner Faivre-Picon being placed not far from the Finn. Seraina Boner (SUI), from Davos not far away from the Engadin, was third in St. Moritz at kilometre 14, right in front of a group of girls. After a lot of World Cup races and the World Championships, Faivre Picon was not as fresh as last year and could not hold on to her second place in the end, having Boner passing her only around four kilometres to go to the finish. Roponen finished with a two minute lead in the end. She will now have to carry the big Capricorn head, each winner of the Engadin Skimarathon gets, with her back to Finland. Surely a burden she likes to take.

In total, over 11,000 racers took the start of the Engadin Skimarathon under perfect sunshine and great snow conditions. This meant an increase of 6.4% (around 800 participants more). The weather forecast was not always that good so it was a nice surprise when the sun appeared on a cloudless sky this morning. All the racers can now enjoy the new medal series which will continue until 2017 with some motives of the animals of the Alps. The 45th Engadin Skimarathon also had a little “royal” touch with Pippa Middleton competing as well.

A 27th place was enough today for Sergio Bonaldi (ITA, 271 points) to fix his victory in the overall FIS Marathon Cup 2012/13. Benoit Chauvet (FRA, 227 points) who tried hard to get the red bib of the leader back in the last race of the season, and who finished 9th today, wasn’t able to get enough points to overtake the Italian. Anders Aukland (NOR, 220 points), who didn’t take part in today’s race as it was a skating race and the Norwegian is a classic specialist, takes third place in the overall ranking.

On the women’s side it’s Tatiana Mannima (EST, 402 points) who can now finally say “I am the winner of the overall FIS Marathon Cup 2012/13”. Already after the American Birkebeiner (USA) it was clear that nobody would be able to take the title away from her any more. Seraina Boner (SUI, 320 points), today’s second, is also second in the overall FIS Marathon Cup with Antonella Confortola (ITA) placing third (274 points).

“I am really happy that I could win the overall FIS Marathon Cup! It is a really important success for me and I hope the whole Italian team can profit from it! At the beginning I didn’t really have good results but suddenly, before the American Birkebeiner (USA), I realised that I would be able to win the overall if I would have a great race in the Birkie, so I gave everything. Today, it wasn’t a great race for me, the more I am happy that it worked out with the overall!” tells overall winner Sergio Bonaldi (ITA).

“Winning the overall FIS Marathon Cup means a lot to me! I focused on long distance racing this season and I am more than happy that it worked out that well! I am already looking forward to next season, but before I have our national Estonial Championships to race and then I will go on holidays!” says a happy Tatiana Mannima (EST).

Full results and the final overall FIS Marathon Cup standings HERE.

QUOTES FROM THE TOP THREE

Pierre Guedon (FRA):
I never expected that I could win today. It’s my second marathon race and my first Engadin Skimarathon so I am still pretty unexperienced when it comes to long distance racing. But the race was very fast today and when I start in a race I also want to win or get onto the podium at least. So I tried to go with the fastest ones. I got told that you have to be one of the five first skiers when you come to the last 500m and I placed myself in that way right before the finish. In the end I could play the card of a sprinter and get these precious centimetres in front of the second one. I am really really happy. The Engadin is a great place for skiing and I really enjoyed racing here.

Cristian Zorzi (ITA):
Of course I wanted to win, but in the end, Pierre was faster and stronger. I am happy with my second place.

Christoph Perrillat Collomb (FRA):
Of course I hoped that I could win this race for once after I could already gain some podium places here, but I am also happy with the third place in the end. I really like this race here and the track is made for me – that’s why I still hope that I will be the winner one day! I tried to attack together with Ivan Perrillat in St. Moritz to get the leading group a bit smaller, but in the end, everybody came back together and over 20 athletes sprinted for the places. I am happy that I could place my foot over the line for a podium place. Now I go to Oslo to race the 50km there and I am looking forward to that.

Riitta Liisa Roponen (FIN):
I felt really good today and as I only did three races in the World Championships, I wasn’t tired at all. I got told before that it will be crowded in the beginning, but I was still surprised how crowded it got. My plan was to follow the men as long as possible and that was what I did and it worked well. I knew the Engadin already from three weeks of training in summer and I really like it here.

Seraina Boner (SUI):
I felt very good today, but until St. Moritz it was pretty hectic and it wasn’t much fun to race. In reality, I could only go as fast as I wanted to during the last five kilometres. I could then catch Anouk and knew that I would be able to finish second. I am really happy with this result. Maybe I should have tried to get behind Roponen straight from the beginning, but it came differently. But she was also very strong today.

Anouk Faivre-Picon (FRA):
After my victory last year, I hoped of course to do it again. But after a lot of World Cup races and the World Championships in my legs I didn’t feel fresh enough to really fight with Riitta-Liisa and Seraina in the end. So I am very happy that I could get onto the podium. The Engadin is a really great race and it’s always fun to ski here!

March 05, 2012 – Perfect conditions made this year’s Vasaloppet the fastest ever! Jörgen Brink from Sweden, won the Vasaloppet, for the third consecutive time and broke the record by19s, which is therefore now 3:38.41! By breaking the record, Brink got himself a brand new Volkswagen! Brink finished first in a fantastic sprint, which left four skiers to wait for the photo finish to decide who gained the famous victory this year. Then it was clear, Brink was once again the number one. Behind him, Daniel Tynell (SWE), who has won the Vasaloppet twice, took second, and Stanislav Rezac (CZE) the leader of the overall FIS Marathon Cup, grabbed third place.

However, for a long time it looked as if the winner would be Joergen Aukland (NOR), who got away from the pack around 15km before the finish, but the ones left behind worked well together and caught the Norwegian soon after his attempt to break away. In the end, the younger one of the two Aukland brothers starting in the Vasaloppet today, got only 10th – 14s behind Brink.

On the women’s side, it was was a bit less spectacular at the finish. Vibeke Skofterud, who already holds several Olympic and World Championship medals with the Norwegian National Team, claimed the victory in her first ever start in the Vasaloppet. Behind her, it was a another Norwegian, who took second place: Young Laila Kveli skied a fantastic race and finished ahead of Seraina Boner of Switzerland. Early in the race, it didn’t appear to be Skofterud’s day, as the Norwegian lost one of her poles. Thinking the race was already over for her after that, she still felt good and just went for it – a move which definitely paid off. Especially as she also broke the old record time which also made her the owner of a new Volkswagen car! The new record time for the women is now at 4:08.24.

Blue sky, temperatures around -10 at the start, and only a slight breeze awaited the over 14,000 skiers who started the 90km in classic style. The most traditional and world renowned Vasaloppet not only welcomed elite athletes, but also such personalities as His Royal Highness, Frederik, Prince of Denmark and the sister and the brother of the Duchess of Cambridge, Pippa and James Middleton. Cesar Baena, who already competed for this country Venezuela in the Nordic World Ski Championships, was equally on the start and finished the race in just over 6 hours.

Rezac Still Leads Overall Men’s FIS Marathon Cup, Nyström New Women’s Leader
Stanislav Rezac (CZE) is now leading the overall FIS Marathon Cup with 405 points in front of Joergen Aukland (NOR, 282 points) and Jimmie Johnsson (SWE, 275 points).

Susanne Nyström (SWE), fifth today, still received enough points to regain the leader’s bib from Stephanie Santer (ITA), who didn’t ski the Vasaloppet. Nyström now leads the overall with 410 points ahead of team mate Jenny Hansson (SWE, 382 points) and Santer (381 points).

The next FIS Marathon Cup race will be the Engadin Skimarathon (SUI), 42km skating technique, on March 11.

Elite Results HERE.
Full Results HERE.

Comments from the Top Three

Jörgen Brink (SWE):
I felt good all the way, my plan was to get a good position and keep it. With only a few kilometers left I felt that I still had power left in my arms and the goal was to be the first on the home-stretch. It was a hard fight in the end and the more am I happy that I was able to secure the victory! Especially, as it is already my third consecutive win!! It’s absolutely fantastic!!! Sure, I prepared this race very well, but you never know what will come, therefore I am really satisfied!

Daniel Tynell (SWE):
Two years ago it felt like I was losing the first place, this year it felt like I won a second place. It feels so good to be back and I am really satisfied with my race today. It was a hard fight in the end and I am happy that I was able to gain this second place!

Stanislav Rezac (CZE):
Next year, I am going to win! 🙂

Vibeke Skofterud (NOR):
It was a great feeling to win and I’m going to take it with me for sure! Well, it’s simply amazing! I lost a pole right at the beginning of the race and Jenny Hansson passed me with such a speed that I thought that the race was over for me! However, I felt very good and therefore I just tried to go for it and to enjoy the race which I did. It’s just fantastic that it then even worked out for the victory!!!

Laila Kveli (NOR):
It’s for sure one of the goals of the season to be good in the Vasaloppet and if you then really are, it’s just great! I am really happy and very satisfied with my second place! It’s just amazing! My best race so far in the FIS Marathon Cup so far this season and that in the Vasaloppet – that’s just great!

Seraina Boner (SUI):
I am really happy with my third place. The Vasaloppet is a very special race and you prepare especially for it, however, you never know if it will work as you wish. Therefore I am really satisfied with my race today. The track was very fast and I really enjoyed skiing.

More photos from the race HERE.