Author: Daniele Mich
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Press release 16^th February 2020

CAPPELLO AND BERTOLINA AT THE GSIESERTAL LAUF
DI CENTA AND PELLEGRINI AMONG THE WOMEN

30 km: back-to-back wins for Cappello. Di Centa ‘wonder girl’
42 km: Bertolina attacked on the climb, Sara Pellegrini in the lead from start to finish
This 37^th edition was a success, good weather and many congratulations
Live TV coverage on RAI Sport and reruns on Tuesday 18^th at 0.30 a.m. and on Friday at 7.25 p.m.

Gsiesertal Lauf 2020 with important names. Today’s 37^th edition in free technique saw great accomplishments by Florian Cappello and Martina Di Centa, Giorgio Di Centa’s daughter, in the 30 km race and by Mirco Bertolina and Sara Pellegrini in the 42 km race. Over 2,300 athletes competed on the slopes in South Tyrol on Saturday and on Sunday, including 200 “just for fun” and over 200 young skiers at the Gsiesertal Kids Run. Once again, the Gsiesertal Lauf proved to be the second major cross-country skiing event in Italy.
Florian Cappello won in the final sprint ahead of other three athletes and landed on top of the podium today as well, after yesterday’s victory in classic technique. Patrick Klettenhammer from Pustertal finished second and Matteo Tanel – Cappello’s teammate (Team Trentino Robinson) – was third. The race started at 10.30 a.m. and a group with the best athletes of ‘Coppa Italia’ and some foreign athletes took the lead, including athletes of CS Carabinieri and CS Esercito. Nizzi, Fanton, Gardener and Liederer kept the pace high, while Cappello and Bertolina remained in the group.
In the women’s race, Sara Pellegrini immediately took the lead and crossed the finish line alone. 
On paper, we already knew those who would opt for the 42 km or the 30 km race in St. Martin. As for the ‘Coppa Italia’, an important tournament for military sports groups, the women had to face the 30 km course while the men the 42 km race according to the regulations. So, in St. Martin the ‘military’ athletes faced the climb to St. Magdalena while, as announced, Florian Cappello from Prad am Stilfserjoch, decided to finish the race after 30 km. He was then able to beat Brunner, Klettenhammer and Tanel on the final straight. Behind Cappello, Brunner went to the left while Tanel slid his left ski under his right ski on the finish line and Klettenhammer hit the girl with the ribbon... falling to the ground, and Tanel was third, but he fell to the ground too.
In the 30 km women's race – Pellegrini had announced to face the long race – there was a group with eight girls and with Martina Di Centa, who in the final sprint won with 1" on Ilenia Defrancesco and 19" on Rebecca Bergagnin, while Stefania Corradini finished fourth. First experience for Di Centa on the distance; before today, the longest distance she had faced in a race was 15 km.
Fanton was leading on the long course, but behind him... Mirco Bertolina and Stefano Gardener were able to close the gap and took the lead. Downhill, Bertolina risked that little bit more than Gardener and took the win (1h37'40") ahead of Gardener (18" behind) while Fanton had no energy left and Dietmar Nöckler took advantage of it. Meanwhile among the women, in the 42 km race, Sara Pellegrini took home the victory (1h45'53"), while yesterday's winner, Klara Moravcova (CZE), finished second at 4'27" and Anna Seebacher third at 6'21".
The 37^th Gsiesertal Lauf was a real success: a great live TV coverage on Rai Sport and many compliments – also from the President of the Province of Bozen Arno Kompatscher – and everyone is already focused on the next edition in 2021.

For further information: www.valcasies.com        

Download TV images:
www.broadcaster.it

30 km FT - Men
1. Cappello Florian Team Robinson Trentino 1:07.35,5; 2. Klettenhammer Patrick Team Futura 1:07.36,0; 3. Tanel Matteo Team Robinson Trentino 1:07.36,1; 4. Brunner Julian Team Futura 1:07.36,2; 5. Alraun Tobias SC Aising-Pang 1:07.39,5; 6. Giardina Jacopo Team Futura A.S.D. W.. 1:07.41,0; 7. Valerio Michele U.S. Carisolo 1:07.49,2; 8. Schwingshackl Matthias Team Futura 1:07.50,5; 9. Rinner Thomas KSV Nordic Team 1:07.55,3; 10. Becker Manuel Adidas XCS Team 1:08.02,8

30 km FT – Women
1. Di Centa Martina GS Carabinieri 1:12.39,6; 2. Defrancesco Ilenia GS Esercito 1:12.41,2; 3. Bergagnin Rebecca GS Carabinieri 1:12.58,7; 4. Corradini Stefania Nordic Team Sottozero 1:13.25,2; 5. De Zolt Ponte Chiara GS Carabinieri 1:14.26,7; 6. Monsorno Nicole GS Fiamme Gialle 1:14.43,5; 7. De Zolt Ponte Alessia GS Carabinieri 1:16.54,9; 8. Patscheider Michaela Under Up Ski Team Be. 1:17.03,6; 9. Schwingshackl Thea RG 5V Loipe 1:17.35,8; 10. Kuen Julia RG 5V Loipe 1:18.41,6

42 km FT – Men
1. Bertolina Mirco GS Carabinieri 1:37.40,8; 2. Gardener Stefano GS Carabinieri 1:37.59,1; 3. Nöckler Dietmar GS Fiamme Oro 1:38.23,9; 4. Fanton Paolo GS Carabinieri 1:38.27,5; 5. Abram Mikael GS Esercito 1:38.46,8; 6. Del Fabro Luca GS Fiamme Gialle 1:38.48,8; 7. Chanoine Jaques Lino SC Valdigne Montblanc 1:39.09,8; 8. Serra Daniele GS Esercito 1:39.26,9; 9. Dellagiacoma Tommaso GS Carabinieri 1:40.25,5; 10. Ghiglione Luca GS Fiamme Gialle 1:40.25,6

42 km FT – Women
1. Pellegrini Sara GS Fiamme Oro 1:45.53,7; 2. Moravcova Klara Fischer Racing Team 1:50.20,7; 3. Seebacher Anna Adidas XCS Team 1:52.05,8; 4. Dotzler Jessica xc-ski.de A/N Skimar. 1:56.31,8; 5. Vinante Marta U.S. Cornacci 2:03.59,3; 6. Chanloung Karen Ski and Snowboard As. 2:04.51,2; 7. Forstner Renate SC AU 2:10.16,9; 8. Mayer Melina xc-ski.de AIN Skimar 2:10.18,5; 9. Käfferlein Sarina TSV Stiefenhofen 2:12.52,2; 10. Burden Nancy Edmonton Nordic Ski 2:12.59,2