France dominates the third event of the Scarpa ISMF World Cup

William Bon Mardion and Laetitia Roux win the Marmotta Trophy. Among the Juniors Davide Magnini and Alba De Silvestro win the gold medal. For the Espoir class Nadir Maguet and Axelle Mollaret step on the highest place of the podium.

Val Martello, a few miles from Merano (Province of Bolzano) was the stage of the third Scarpa ISMF World Cup race. This important international event was welcomed by a very cold weather up in the mountains, and a clear, deep blue sky.
For the Senior category, the World Cup race had 1677-meter gradient divided into four uphill stretches. Women and Juniors competed on a shorted racecourse with a 1280-metre gradient. Junior girls raced on a 95-metre gradient track with two uphill stretches. In all cases the snow was in top-notch condition thanks to the recent snowfalls, which ensured a safe and absolutely entertaining event.
The athletes competing on the longer track had to face two stretches on foot, their skis in the rucksack.
The Senior race started at 9; at the first short uphill lane towards Rifugio Corsi, the pack was already stretched forward, lead by Spaniard Kilian Jornet Burgada. Trailing behind were William Bon Mardion, Xavier Gachet, Damiano Lenzi and Michele Boscacci. On the second uphill stretch, on foot towards Rifugio Martello, Kilian was still ahead of the pack and it was only at the following slope that William Bon Mardion took the lead.
Bon Mardion started widening the gap by setting the pace higher and increasing the distance from Kilian Jornet Burgada. At the third uphill stretch, at the end of the technical foot portion, the leader was almost one minute ahead of Kilian. Behind the Spaniard came Xavier Gachet. In the final part William Bon Mardion did not miss a single bend and finished in 1:44’09’’; behind him, Kilian Jornet Burgada was one minute and twenty seconds late. Xavier Gachet came third with 1:45’58’’. The Italians Michele Boscacci and Damiano Lenzi were fourth and fifth, respectively.
As far as the women’s race goes, as widely expected Laetitia Roux took the lead before Axelle Mollaret and Emelie Forsberg. Roux was in full control throughout the race and crossed the finish line in 1:38’58’’, before young Axelle Mollaret. Suede Emelie Forsberg finished third in 1:42’42’’. Swiss Jennifer Fiechter was fourth and Martina Valmassoi ended fifth.
In the Junior competition, Davide Magnini won the gold medal ahead of Swann Juillaguet and Rémi Bonnet; Nicolò Canclini and Valentino Bacca finished respectively fourth and fifth. Among the girls Alba De Silvestro won in 1:21’14’’, before Giulia Compagnoni in second and Lena Bonnel in third position.
For the Espoir category French Axelle Mollaret won among the women and Italian Nadir Maguet made the most of Anton Palzer’s absence to wear the gold medal among the men.
The Sprint race is scheduled to start tomorrow morning at 9 at the Biathlon centre of Martello.