December 09, 2014 – After all other Nordic disciplines already had their season opener, it’s now time for the long distance races to get underway. Traditionally, La Sgambeda, situated in the valley of Livigno (ITA), not far from the Engadin (SUI) where until last season the traditional FIS Marathon Cup final took place. This year however, the FIS Marathon Cup welcomes a new host race for the very last stage of the season 2014-15. More about it in the season preview below.

La Sgambeda kicks off the FIS Marathon Cup season... © La Sgambeda

Livigno, normally known as having snow from early November on, had to work hard last year to put the 21km race track together as snow was rare. However, this year it seems that all should be in perfect conditions. Many skiers and teams from around the world were training in the valley during the last weeks and saw ideal training conditions.

This year’s La Sgambeda, the 42km race in freestyle technique, will take place on Friday for the first time ever. This enables World Cup racers, who might participate in the World Cup in Davos – just a stonethrow away and which takes place on Saturday and Sunday – to participate in the race.

As the course is not a single loop, but one loop has to be skied twice, spectators can watch the racers pass through the stadium at half time. The race track develops along the river Spöl and winds through all the villages along it: Florin, Pont Lonc, Li Mina, Tresenda and runs as far as Campaciol. From around the Hotel Forcola (12,5 km point) the tracks turns back into the direction of the Cross Country Stadium where the 21km mark is reached and yet another loop awaits the skiers.

Spectators will also be able to enjoy the sun this year as bright sunshine is predicted for the race day with temperatures around -10 degrees in the morning, getting up to -5°C during the day.

THE RACERS – WHO IS ON THE START LIST?!
The first race of the season – that normally means that everybody is there to fight for the best start into the season. On the men’s side, the second of last year’s overall FIS Marathon Cup, Benoit Chauvet from France will be on the start line as will last year’s second in La Sgambeda, Petr Novak (CZE). National Team members and World Cup skiers taking part in La Sgambeda include Jean Marc Gaillard and Robin Duvillard (FRA), both bronze medallists from last year’s relay competition at the Olympic Winter Games in Sotchi (RUS), Toni Livers (SUI), Sergey Dolidovitch (BLR), Imanol Rojo (ESP), Martin Moeller (DEN) and Madis Vaikmaa (EST). On the long distance specialist side, Aliaksei Ivanou (BLR), last year’s third, the Italian Squad with Sergio Bonaldi, Simone Paredi and Cristian Zorzi as well as the French Christophe Perrillat Colomb and Adrien Mougel are equally on the start list. Known for a very late entry at long distance races, Petter Northug Jr. might still be up for racing La Sgambeda like he did in the last two years, winning both editions.

On the women’s side, Valentina Shevchenko (UKR) and Antonella Confortola (ITA) will try to step onto the podium this year like Tatjana Mannima (EST), the overall FIS Marathon Cup Champion from 2012-13 who is back from serious injury and Karolina Bicova (CZE) who could win the classic La Transjurassiennce last season. Holly Brooks from the US, a member of the National Ski Team until now, will focus this year on the long distances and will try to get into a good position for the overall by placing well in La Sgambeda.

The complete startlist can be found here.

THE FIS MARATHON CUP SEASON 2014-15 – WHAT TO EXPECT
Like every year, the FIS Marathon Cup kicks off with La Sgambeda in the Italian valley of Livigno. This season, there will be 9 competitions in total with a new final in Russia.

After La Sgambeda and its 42km FT race, the cup takes a long Christmas Break until January 18 when it gets back into business with the Dolomitenlauf. Like in the last years, the race will take place in Obertilliach, ensuring high quality snow conditions and almost 100% insurance that the race can be held. However, due to the change in place, the race will now be a 42km FT race, like during the last years. From Austria, the FIS Marathon Cup is travelling further to Italy and the first classic technique race of the season: It’s time for the traditional Marcialonga, reaching from Val di Fassa to Val di Fiemme, the home of already three FIS Nordic World Ski Championships. As every year, the Marcialonga track is 70km long and will be skied in classic technique only.

One week break for the FIS Marathon Cup racers before the cup makes its stop in France where La Transjurassienne awaits the athletes. However, this year, the FIS Marathon Cup will not be held in freestyle technique but in classic, meaning that 56km have to be skied by both men and women instead of 76km and 54km FT respectively as in previous years. From France, the teams will make their way to Estonia and the traditional “warm up” for the Vasaloppet: The Tartumaraton (63km)! Last year’s race had to be cancelled due to lack of snow therefore the OC is now eagerly awaiting the first real snow falls of the season.

After Tartu Maraton, the American Birkebeiner – the “Birkie” – is waiting for the FIS Marathon Cup racers on the other side of the big pond. After three races in classic technique it’s now time to dust off the skating skis for a 50km race in the woods of Wiskonsin. One week later, the cup is back in Europe for the 50km CT Bieg Piastow (POL) which, like the Tartumaraton, had to be cancelled last year due to lack of snow. No time for laying low as the weekend after, the FIS Marathon Cup heads to the Engadin valley and the traditional 42km long FT race of the Engadin Skimarathon. But this year, the season is not yet over, as on April 11th, the Ugra Ski Marathon awaits the FIS Marathon Cup athletes with a final 50km FT race in Khanty Mansisk, Siberia, which is best known for its Biathlon World Cups and World Championships. The king and queen of this year’s FIS Marathon Cup season will be crowned on Siberian soil and some wodka will surely be spilled out for a big celebration thereafter.

In total over 220.000 Euro will be distributed as prize money this season as each race offers a minimum of 21.000€ prize money per race and an additional prize money of over 31.000€ will be handed out for the best six men and women in the overal FIS Marathon Cup at the end of the season.

The full FIS Marathon Cup calendar can be found HERE.

WHO MIGHT BECOME THE KING AND THE QUEEN OF THE FIS MARATHON CUP 2014-15?
After having placed two times second in the last two years, Benoit Chauvet from France will surely do everything to finally end up on top of the podium at the end of the season. His newly formed GEL Rossignol Team will certainly help him achieving this goal. However, he won’t be alone with the goal of reaching the highest step of the podium: Sergio Bonaldi (ITA) would like to repeat his overall victory of the season 2012-13! In absence of Tom Reichelt (GER), who suffered from loosing his team after the team manager dissolved the team at the beginning of September, these two will certainly be the main contestants for the overall victory. However, with more classic races in the programme this season, Adrien Mougel, team mate of Chauvet, will certainly not make life easy for the two. Petr Novak (CZE), who focused on his participation at the Olympic Games after he made the Czech Team last season, will also be back and ready to challenge the best. As for Toni Livers (SUI), it will be interesting to see how he will manage his going back and forth between the National Team and competing in the World Cup and the FIS Marathon Cup. All in all, he certainly has to be counted in into the round of favourites.

On the women’s side, the question is if long time contestant Antonella Confortola (ITA) will finally climb the highest step of the podium. It will be interesting to see how Holly Brooks (USA), who is fully concentrating on the long distance scene this season, will do. Seraina Boner (SUI) will definitely be a very strong contestant for the overall, however it will depend on how many races she will take part in. The same goes for Riitta-Liisa Roponen (FIN), last year’s overall FIS Marathon Cup winner. But maybe there will be some young skiers on the male and female side who will show that long distance skiing is not only something for “the older generation” as some say. Only one thing can be sure: It will be an interesting season with a lot of great races.

IMPORTANT DATES AND PRACTICAL INFORMATION

La Sgambeda website here.
Track information here.

Last year’s winners:
Men: 1. Petter Northug Jr. (NOR), 2. Petr Novak (CZE), 3. Aliaksei Ivanou (BLR)
Women: 1. Riita-Liisa Roponen (FIN), 2. Seraina Boner (SUI), 3. Larisa Shaidurova (RUS)

Dec. 12: La Sgambeda (ITA), 42km skating technique, 1st FIS Marathon Cup 2014/15, start at 11am at the Cross Country Ski Stadium.

Next FIS Marathon Cup: Dolomitenlauf, 18th January 2015, 42km, free technique

MORE WORLDLOPPET INFO

US Birkie Trail Open for Early Season Skiing

With early snowfall and consistently cold temps the Birkie Trail is groomed tip to tail to near mid-winter condition. With over 75km groomed on the skate and classic trails from the North End Cabin to Birkie Ridge and to Hatchery Park the skate deck and classic tracks are firm. For the latest trail reports and grooming conditions go here.

What exactly does it take for this trail system to be in tip top shape for the weekend crowds?

It starts with a dedicated grooming crew. Chris Campbell, the American Birkebeiner Ski Foundation’s grooming manager, begins a typical winter work day after dark as the temperature drops.

A round trip in the PistenBully south from Double O, where the equipment is stored, to the Fish Hatchery takes seven hours on average. North to the start line at Telemark and back requires around ten hours at the PistenBully’s 8-10 kilometers per hour. Campbell took over the lead grooming position last year and has been grooming the Birkie Trail for the past eight years.

Campbell, charged with grooming and maintaining the ABSF’s 107 kilometers, oversees a staff of three part-time groomers and a fleet of three PistenBully snow cats, four Ski-Doo snowmobiles and a Polaris Ranger side-by-side. The PistenBully, which does an exceptional job leveling the snow deck and makes skate skiers smile, doesn’t come out until Campbell’s sure there will be at least a four-inch base intact after grooming.

Besides Campbell, Gary Wright, Derec Strapon and John Fitzgerald work as part-time groomers. In a week of normal snowfall, Campbell estimates the grooming crew puts in roughly 100 hours of work. Much of this time is spent getting the trail ready for the weekends when the trail sees much more pressure. Last season, the groomers put in 780 hours of work, and the ABSF spent $111,342 on grooming.

According to Campbell, he doesn’t groom to make the trail look better. “We don’t groom for aesthetics,” he said. “We groom when (the trail) doesn’t ski well.”

To keep the conditions top notch stop at one of our local retailers to buy your daily or annual SkiPass before hitting the trail. 100% of ski pass revenue goes toward grooming and trail maintenance. See detailed information here or stop in at New Moon Ski and Bike in Hayward, Riverbrook Bike and Ski in Hayward, and Redbery Books in Cable.

In addition every trailhead now has brand new maps posted with color coded trails, kilometer markers, and common landmarks. The overall map you’re familiar with has been broken down into sections to show more detail. Keep your eyes peeled for the soon-to-be printed brochure with the new maps and history of the trail.

WORLDLOPPET – THE WORLD OF MARATHON SKIING!
More information: www.worldloppet.com
Visit also the official Worldlooppet Facebook Page
Never miss an info about the world of marathon skiing – follow @WLandFISMaCup