Over 4,000 entries already submitted for Marcialonga 70K

Over 4,000 entries already submitted for Marcialonga 70K{mosimage}Marcialonga reached the important goal of 4,000 entries just today, when there are still 20 more days to the start of 30th January in Moena at 8.15, and this year the start will be given by the champion Gabriella Paruzzi.

The ‘invasion of the Vikings’ is getting bigger and bigger, nearly 850 of the 4,000 participants are Norwegian, and among them there is the gold medal of Athens Olympic Games in the kayak, Veraas Larsen. A great name and very unusual for a cross country skiing race, that also this year is included in the circuit Worldloppet and in the FIS Marathon Cup, the World Cup of the long distance competitions.

The predictions, today, are divided between the Norwegian Joergen Aukland (third in 2004 when his brother Anders won before Giorgio Di Centa the edition valid for the cross country World Cup, and first in 2003 at the opening of the ‘new era’ in classic technique) and the Italian Gianantonio Zanetel, holder of the FIS Marathon Cup 2004 and 5th the last year. Also this year, as in the following edition of 2006, Marcialonga will be in classical style, 70 kilometres from Val di Fassa to Val di Fiemme.

The youngest competitor will be the Norwegian Mari Oppedal Tockheim (she was 18 last 4th January), the oldest Giovanni Egisto Dini, 86 year old from Tuscany.

The president Alfredo Weiss informs that the track of Marcialonga is nearly completed, thanks also to the heavy snowfalls.

This year the ‘pacers’ will be present along the course, they are a group of skiers, well recognizable, who will encourage the slowest competitors, helping them to cross the ‘gates’ in time, as in the Marathon races.