29/04: Troillet-Pellissier-Giacomelli win without many problems Mezzalama!

Les permières femmes a l'arrivéeArrête du CastorClassement/ Results
Finally the Trofeo Mezzalama stayed home. The italo-swiss Team Valtellina, with Guido Giacomelli (IT), Jean Pellissier (IT) and Florent Troillet (CH) won this classical race, one of the top races of this season. The victory has different tastes: for Guido: one Mezzalama more in his curriculum (he already won in 2005) and a happy moment on a not very fortunate end of season (his results in European Championships and Pierramenta were not as expected); for Florent Troillet: finally an important medal for Switzerland and himself and as well the confirmation, after his victory as well in the World Cup in Dachstein (AT), that he is one of the strongest racers with a promising future (he is only 26); and finally for Jean Pellissier: a deserved victory (he won Patrouille des Glaciers in 2004, but he was almost always finishing in inconfortable 2nd, 3rd, 4th position on the most important races) and as well a victory home (he is from the Cervinia Valley).
The race started at 5h35 with the typical 1800m-long ascent through the slopes until the Breithorn Pass (3830m). The French team with Perrier, Gachet and Blanc crossed in first position, only with 12 seconds advantage over the italo-swiss team. On the long crossing until the Castor, the team of Giacomelli overtook the French team and got an advantage of 55 second. From this moment on, the French team began to loose slowly more and more minutes. At the top of Castor the difference was 3’13, in Sella 5’42, on the Nasso di Liskam 7’56 and finally at the arrival line 10’39.
Nobody wanted to beat to any of both teams. On this season both teams had very good results. Finally the French team had to take the second place, which is not at all bad. For Patrick Blanc it was a small victory in a very unlucky season, for Perrier-Gachet was their first Mezzalama and their first long classical one-day race!
Third place was for the Italian army, with Manfred Reichegger, Dennis Brunod and Denis Trento.

On the female category, no surprises on the finish line: Pellissier, Pedranzini and Martinelli won with 47’15 advantage and (this is a surprise!) did a new record of the race with 5’37’46. This record has double value, since it wasn’t the best year to do it. The lack of snow obliged the racers to do the last 800m downhill until Gresonney running with the skis on the back. The fight for the second and third place was more interesting. The experienced French teams with Corinne Favre, Natalie Bourillon and Veronique Lathuraz had all the time the German team (Judith Grassl, Stefanie Koch and Silvia Treimer) very near. Finally, the Germans had to take the third place (very good result for this country with a short story in skimountaineering races!), only 3’12’’ behind the French.

Mezzalama closed the international season of ski mountaineering. A very sunny day, a perfect organisation and a breathtaking landscape where the perfect goodbye for this season, which probably all of us will unfortunately remember for the lack of snow.

Videos, pictures and interviews of the race: click here!

Classement / Results:
Complete results: click here!
Hommes

1) 4'22'41
Guido Giacomelli
Jean Pellissier
Florent Troillet

2) 4'33'20 (10'39)
Florent Perrier
Gregory Gachet
Patrick Blanc

3) 4,39,09 (16'28)
Manfred Reichegger
Dennis Brunod
Denis Trento

4) 4'48'34 (25'53)
Alain Seleto
Toni Sbalbi
Martin Riz

5) 4'49'25 (26'44)
Graziano Boscacci
Ivan Murada
Mirco Mezzanotte

6) 4'52'16 (29'35)
Daniele Pedrini
Lorenzo Holzknecht
Matia Coletti

7) 4'53''07 (30'26)
Lionel Bonnel
Fabien Anselmet
Sebastien Baud

8) 4'54'04 8(31'23)
Alain Rey
Yannick Ecoeur
Ernest Farquet

9) 4'57'02 (34'21)
Paolo Moriondo
Alberto Fazio
Fulvio Fazio

10) 5'03'16 (40'34)
Aldo Christille
Calro Christille
Nadir Giovanetto