By Teemu Virtanen
This weekend introduced us to a new race location in the Visma Ski Classics family. On Saturday, the 34 km long La Venosta Classic was a part of the Pro Tour while the Sunday’s skating race belonged to the Challengers series. It is always exciting to see and experience new races, and it seemed that most of the Pro Skiers liked the latest addition to the tour.
Yesterday’s 34 km skating race took place in perfect winter conditions as the sun was shining and the course was in top shape. The men’s race was won by Bastien Poirrier, E-Liberty Ski Team, while Katerina Smutná, ED System Bauer Team, finished as the first woman in the race. Both winners took home 50 points towards their Hertz Champion competition fight in the Pro Tour.
The race followed the same course as on Saturday with four laps of which the first one was a bit shorter than the remaining three. On the full lap, there was a gradual 3,5 km climb to the highest point Melago Alm at 1975 m above sea level. After the long climb, there was a two-kilometer downhill section and then a short climb to the transit area, which was followed by the most challenging downhill section with two sharp curves before the long climb began again.
The course worked much better for skating than diagonal striding due to the fact that in skating you can use shorter skis and special boots that give you a good support for your ankles when going downhill. The climb on each lap was long but not that steep except the last part before reaching the top. By the time the skiers got to Melago Alm, they could really feel lactic acid burning in their legs. But the long downhill section gave them a chance to recover and get ready for the next lap. Many participants praised the course after the race, and it really was extremely suitable for a skating race with long climbs and technical downhill sections.
Considering that this was the first La Venosta, the atmosphere was surprisingly warm and welcoming at this Challengers event. The tent was full of people enjoying their after-the-race meal and discussing about the endeavor they had just undertaken. After the main event on Sunday, there were many junior and children races that brought an extra flavor to the day. It’s always great to see young and enthusiastic rising stars enjoying the perks of this great form of winter sport.
All in all, the La Venosta skating race, the second Challenges event on snow, was a wonderful experience and a great success. It has all the elements needed to grow and become a popular destination for traveling recreational ski tourists. The location is also easy to reach as Munich and Innsbruck are quite close offering flight connections to all European cities.
Additionally, the valley, where the race took place, is superb for intensive training on skis. If you go down to Kapron and turn around there, you have a nice gradual 7,6 km climb to Melago Alm. This section gives you a perfect chance to train your double-poling technique and strength – highly recommended if you plan to come and do La Venosta next year. You should either come a couple of days early or stay a few more extra days after the race and enjoy the great training opportunities that this region can offer.
