26/03: Relays for Italy

DETAILED RESULTS WITH ALL RACER TIMES:
Male Relays
Youth and Female Relays
Ranking per laps (non official)
Start SeniorItaly won today two gold medal more on the senior male and female relays. The youth relays was for Spain. Few public assisted to this spectacular and very well organised race.

The itinerary consisted on a lap of around 120-130m with a walking part (skis on the back), a new add to relays races. From the arrival line the public could see 90% of the itinerary and follow the race with the perfect animation of our known speaker Silvano.

At 15h30 the race started with the youth relays. 8 countries with mixed teams (one female, starting, first and two male). From the first lap Spain (Mireria Miró) took the first position, getting already 20 second advantage from Czech Republik. The Czechs finished in a very surprising 3rd place. The second place was for France. Even if they didn't begin very well (5th), Xavier Gachet and Sebastien Perrier overtook Czech Republic, Poland and Switzerland and gave finally one silver medal more to France.
The fastest lap was for Kilian Jornet, with 7min28sec, followed by Sebastien Perrier (7'51") and Xavier Gachet (7'56").

At 17h00 the female relay was clearly dominated by Italy. Gloriana Pellisier did not let any doubt about their superiority from the first meters. Switzerland, France and Germany had to fight for the silver and bronze medal. Corine Favre did not such a good lap, loosing 1'30", but Lathuraz and specially the new start of France, Laetitia Roux (fastest lap more than one minute faster the second-Pedranzini!) allowed them to finish in second place. Third place was finally for Switzerland, which this year has not too much lack (only 3 medals by now).

Finally, the most expected relay, the men, began at 19h00. Like other years, Denis Brunod, the first Italian, did an explosive start and took the head of the race after 50meter. Doing the fastest lap (16'21") he left the relay to Denis Trento with 49" advantage. The interesting fight was for the silver and bronze medal. Yannick Buffet did a very good lap, but Bertrand Blanc could follow the tempo of Florent Troillet on the second lap. Troillet, fully concentrated and risking very much in the descent, did the second fastest lap and took the second place, which Ecouer and Hug kept until the end. Spain was in 4rt position and very remarkable are the 5th position of Sweden and 7th of Norway, new countries having each year a better level.

As always, relays race had a lot of success and is becoming a classic on Championship, where emotion, sport and spectacle and perfectly mixed.
Kilian JornetStart youth relaysSebastian PerrierMarc PinsachGloriana PellisierCorine FavreGabirela MagnenantGemma ArróFrancesca MartinelliCatherine MabillardSilvia TreimerFrancesca MartinelliMartinelli-PedranziniStart SeniorNorwayCapdevila i HovdenakTrento-ReicheggerTroillet-EcoeurSlovakia and Czech RepublikWalking partWalking part