Clara and Moriggl start at the “Gsieser”

The Gsieser Valley Run in the north-east of South Tyrol has always attracted top cross-country skiers. Since the first edition in 1984, well-known names have filled the history books of this event. Last year, the two South Tyroleans Thomas Moriggl and Roland Clara provided a heart-stopping finale in the skating race. In the end, Moriggl was half a ski length ahead of his national team teammate. The two newly crowned Italian relay champions will also be at the “Gsieser” on February 19th, but this time as opponents again. Once again an exciting duel at the highest level is on the horizon.

Clara is in enviable shape. In addition to relay gold, he also secured gold in the pursuit and silver in the classic race at the Italian Championships in Schilpario (BG) a few days ago. In the World Cup, Clara ranks 21st and is therefore the best of the “Azzurri”. But Moriggl recently underlined his ambitions in Fiemme Valley when he finished fifth in the final of the Tour de Ski on the Alpe Cremes, just behind Clara and just a few seconds behind.

But the two exceptional South Tyrolean talents will not be the only ones competing for victory on the 42 km circuit between St. Martin, Pichl and St. Magdalena. Above all, the two German World Cup runners Tom Reichelt and Franz Göring want to contest this. Reichelt has already won the “Gsieser” twice. Of course there are other contenders for victory at the start, but there is still no definitive confirmation of the start. But the quartet Clara, Moriggl, Reichelt and Göring alone guarantee exciting duels.

The Gsieser Valley Run program includes a 30 km race for both the diagonal step and the skating style, in which the incline to St. Magdalena is eliminated. Traditionally, the classic technique is run on Saturday and the free technique on Sunday. Bruno Debertolis won both the 30 km skating race and the marathon in the classic style last year. In 20 days he returns to the site of his triumph, where he has to compete with Thomas Steurer, among others. The Austrian won the “Gsieser” in 2009.

A new feature for 2012 is the combined ranking, for which the times from the classic and skating races are added together. The event is once again part of the Gran Fondo Master Tour and the Italian Ranking and is also one of the most important stops in the Euroloppet, the European racing series with races in Italy, France, Slovenia, Austria, Spain, Latvia, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Germany and Finland. To date, runners from 21 nations have registered for the Gsieser Valley Run, including two exotic runners from Melbourne, Australia. As is tradition, the “Mini-Gsieser” will also take place on Saturday, February 18th, which is now in its 19th edition this year. Depending on their age group, the young runners born between 1995 and 2004 tackle a 3 or 5 km loop using the free technique.

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Clara and Moriggl start at the “Gsieser”

Snowfall has been in short supply this winter. An exception is the area north and south of the main Alpine ridge. The Gsieser Valley Run also benefited from this. The 42 km route for the 29th edition on February 18th and 19th 2012 is already in race-ready condition.

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