Today’s 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon in Italy was a spectacular 60km long-distance race. After a day full of action, Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, and Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, showed solid performances and won the third event of Ski Classics Season XVI.
The longest and most challenging race in the Drei Zinnen Dolomites (Three Peaks in the Dolomites), the 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon offered a demanding course, breathtaking scenery, and a real battle for the wins.
3 ZINNEN SKI MARATHON – MEN’S RACE
The men’s race started at 9:00 CET, and there was a controlled pace and no decisive action before the Sprint checkpoint, with all the favorites in the big main group.
At the only Sprint checkpoint of the day, 21.7km into the race, Simen Ramstad, Team Kaffebryggeriet DRIV, crossed the line first, followed by Anton Persson, Team Ramudden, and Vebjørn Moen, Team Eksjöhus.
Heading to the Climb checkpoint, a big group was still in the front, with several teams taking the lead at a controlled pace before the start of the climb.
At the Cimabanche Climb checkpoint, 35.8km into the race, Oskar Kardin, Lager 157 Ski Tean, showed his strength, crossing first, followed by Max Novak, Team Aker Dæhlie, and Amund Hoel, Team Engcon.
After Cimabanche, a powerful six-skiers group broke away from the main field, with Amund Hoel and Ole Jørgen Bruvoll, Team Engcon, Amund Riege, Team Ramudden, Johan Hoel, Kasper Stadaas, and Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge, setting a fast pace in the downhill section towards the finish line in Villabassa/Niederdorf.
With about 11km to go, the leading group still worked powerfully together and had a gap of around 30 seconds over the strong chasers behind. Four kilometers later, the break was still solid, and the six skiers in front were already preparing for the final part of the race.
With only a few hundred meters to go, the fight was tight. Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, hit the front, pushed hard, and won the race, followed by Amund Riege, Team Ramudden, who was later disqualified for technique violation.
With the jury’s decision, Johan Hoel, Team Ragde Charge, finished in second place, 1.2 seconds back. Third place was Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge, 1.4 seconds behind the winner.
3 Zinnen Ski Marathon – Top 3 Men
- Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, 2:15:20.1
- Johan Hoel, Team Ragde Charge, +1.2
- Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge, +1.4
Complete results from the 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon can be found HERE
3 ZINNEN SKI MARATHON – WOMEN’S RACE
In the women’s race, which started at 9:05 CET, it all started at a fast pace, and soon, a group of 8 skiers was formed with all the favorites.
The real action started a few kilometers later when a small group was formed by Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, Jenny Larsson, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, followed by Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, Stina Nilsson, Team Ragde Charge, Hanna Lodin, Team Engcon, and Hedda Bångman, eD system Vltava Fund Team, chasing the leading group.
With about 10km into the race, Gjerde Alnæs and Larsson took the lead, with Øyre Slind a few seconds back and Fleten, Nilsson, Lodin, and Bångman already 34 seconds behind the leaders.
In the only Sprint checkpoint of the day, 21.7km into the race, Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, showed her speed and crossed the line first, followed by Jenny Larsson, Lager 157 Ski Team, 0.2 seconds behind, and Stina Nilsson, Team Ragde Charge, 0.9 seconds back. The chasing group crossed the Sprint 1:14 behind the leaders.
After the Sprint at the Nordic Arena in Toblach, the leading trio kept a solid pace and stayed together heading to Cimabanche, the only Climb checkpoint on the day’s race. Behind, the chasers group split, leaving only Fleten and Nilsson as the closest chasers.
At the Cimabanche checkpoint, 35.8km into the race, Jenny Larsson, Lager 157 Ski Team, showed her strength and crossed the Climb first, 1.4 seconds ahead of Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, and 4.0 seconds ahead of Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon.
With 17.8km to go, the leading trio was still looking strong and had a gap of 1:42 over the closest chasers, Fleten and Nilsson, growing to 2:35 with 7km to go and 2:53 with 4km to the finish.
Jenny Larsson, Lager 157 Ski Team, finished second, and Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, completed the podium in third place.
3 Zinnen Ski Marathon – Top 3 Women
- Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, 2:34:53.8
- Jenny Larsson, Lager 157 Ski Team, +1.6
- Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, +20.7
Complete results from the 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon can be found HERE
SKI CLASSICS COMPETITIONS – CURRENT STANDINGS
After the 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon, Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, and Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, lead the Champion Bib Competition. Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, and Anton Persson, Team Ramudden, are carrying the Green bib of the Sprint Competition.
Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, and Oskar Kardin, Lager 157 Ski Team, carry the bib for the Climb Competition. The Pink Bib for the best Youth rests on Hanna Lodin, Team Engcon, and Amund Riege, Team Ramudden.
Next up is La Venosta ITT Kapron-Melago tomorrow, Sunday, January 12, 2025. The event marks the fourth Ski Classics Pro Tour stage of Season XVI.
Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVI (2024/2025)
- Event 0: Friday, December 13, 2024 –Ski Classics Pro Team Presentation XVI – Bad Gastein, Austria
- Event 1: Saturday, December 14, 2024 – Bad Gastein ITT – Sportgastein, Austria, 7km
- Event 2: Sunday, December 15, 2024 – Bad Gastein Criterium – Sportgastein, Austria, 36km
- Event 3: Saturday, January 11, 2025 – 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon – Sexten, Italy, 60km
- Event 4: Sunday, January 12, 2025 – La Venosta ITT Kapron-Melago – Val Venosta, Italy, 11km
- Event 5: Saturday, January 18, 2025 – Engadin La Diagonela – Pontresina-Zuoz, Switzerland, 55km
- Event 6: Sunday, January 26, 2025 – Marcialonga – Trentino, Italy, 70km
- Event 7: Sunday, February 9, 2025 – Jizerská50 – Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 50km
- Event 8: Saturday, February 15, 2025 – Grönklitt Criterium 61 – Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 61km
- Event 9: Sunday, February 16, 2025 – Grönklitt ITT – Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 12km
- Event 10: Sunday, March 2, 2025 – Vasaloppet – Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
- Event 11: Saturday, March 15, 2025 – Birkebeinerrennet – Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
- Event 12: Saturday, March 22, 2025 – Marcialonga Bodø – Bodø, Norway, 50km
- Event 13: Saturday, March 29, 2025 – Reistadløpet – Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 46km
- Event 14: Sunday, March 30, 2025 – Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja – Bardufoss-Finnsnes, Norway, 60km
More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour can be found at skiclassics.com
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Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocus
