Title: È arrivata
Author: Elena
Company: Newspower

Press Release 15th December 2011

ITALIAN MARCIALONGA FULLY BOOKED WITH SUPERSTARS
VAL DI FIEMME AND VAL DI FASSA… TURN WHITE

Petra Majdic announced her presence at next January’s Marcialonga
She will be joining Boner, Hansson, Northug and others. But she won’t be racing for medals…she said
One Way Finish Climb Trophy confirmed on the Cascata uphill
Italy’s Trentino gets ready for Christmas and some fresh snow

Val di Fiemme and Val di Fassa, in Trentino region, have finally seen some fresh and soft snow falling on the peaks in the last days and, most importantly, some more is announced for the next hours, as a real Christmas present for all. Furthermore, the snow cannons in the valley are going to ‘fire’ intensely thanks to a temperature drop forecast in the weekend, which should allow to prepare a long stretch of the Marcialonga course. 
In the meantime, the Italian ski marathon – scheduled on January 29th, 2012 – added a new big name to the long list already registered in the past months. Slovenian champion Petra Majdic announced her presence at next year’s Marcialonga, and even if she claimed she will be at the start to simply enjoy what is viewed as one of the world’s most famous long distance cross country race, nobody would be surprised if at a certain stage, Majdic would be battling in the front among the favourites.
Val di Fiemme well remembers Majdic’s amazing performance during the 2010 Tour de Ski leg in Lago di Tesero, when the Slovenian triumphed in the 10k CT race, which was also the 100th world cup race ever organised in the alpine valley. Cross country star Petra Majdic gave Slovenia its first ever XC Olympic medal in Whistler (CAN) at the last games in 2010, after a tremendous fall off the course during a warm-up a few hours before the race start. Lionheart Majdic then will be joining Marcialonga and, as said, no surprises if she would be racing among 2011 winner Swiss Seraina Boner, Sweden’s Jenny and Sandra Hansson, Ukraine’s Valentina Shevchenko, Norway’s Kveli and Svendsen or the Italian Confortola, Valbusa and Genuin. 
Over 7,000 participants will show up at the start of the 39th Marcialonga next January, and on the men’s side, past winners Ahrlin, Svärd and Norwegian brothers Jörgen and Anders Aukland will battle it out against people like double Olympic champion Petter Northug jr, 2003 world champion Martin Koukal and the entire Italian ski marathon team. 
As in 2011, the One Way Finish Climb trophy will go to the best overall time and the best women time on the last part of the Marcialonga course, the notorious 2,8k long Cascata uphill, which runs from Cascata to the finish line in Cavalese main alley. It’s the very end of the course, and this is the reason why in the past it has been crucial for the eventual podium. The total prize offered by ONE WAY amount of € 2,500.
One Way is the main sponsor of the promotional mass start CT race Marcialonga Young, open to young skiers (born from 1992 to 1999) that will take place both on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29, January. The usual Marcialonga Stars (for charity) and Minimarcialonga for kids are both scheduled on Saturday 28 January at the XC stadium in Lago di Tesero.
Marcialonga race office has been moved from Cavalese congress centre to the sporting centre inside ‘Rosa Bianca’ Institute located in Cavalese. 
Info: www.marcialonga.it