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Michele Boscacci and Laetitia Roux new European Ski Mountaineering Champions

The European Ski Mountaineering Championships are currently taking place at Les Marécottes in Switzerland. The Individual race was won on 05/02/2016 by Italy's Michele Boscacci and France's Laetitia Roux.

Planetmountain

February 2016

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Ski mountaineering European Championship, Individual Race 05/02/2016: 1. Michele Boscacci 2. Kilian Jornet Burgada 3. Anton Palzer

ISMF World Cup Ski Mountaineering

At Les Marécottes in Switzerland's Valais region fresh snow and beautiful sunshine welcomed the third stage of the 2016 ISMF Ski Mountaineering World Cup, valid also as the European Championships. Yesterday's senior Individual race was won by Michele Boscacci (ITA) and Laetitia Roux (FRA), while Anton Palzer (GER) and Alba De Silvestro (ITA) struck gold in their Espoir category. Davide Magnini (ITA) and Lena Bonnel (FRA) won the Juniors category, while Ekaterina Osichkina (RUS) and Florian Ulrich (SUI) got the better of their Cadet rivals.

RACE COURSE
The 12.7 km race course for the Senior and Espoir categories featured 1620m of positive gradient spread out over 5 climbs and just as many downhill stretches. The Senior and Espoir women as well as the Junior men measured themselves up against a 1400m height difference (four climbs), while the Junior women and all Cadet athletes raced along a 1200m (3 climbs) course.

SENIOR MEN
The Senior event started at a staggering pace, with the strongest athletes immediately steering clear of the rest of the pack. At the first climb France's Matheo Jacquemoud stepped up the tempo, took the lead and changed his set-up at the first checkpoint. As the race unfolded along the following climbs Michele Boscacci, Anton Palzer and Kilian Jornet Burgada all competed for the lead. At the last climb Boscacci managed to break free to win the race in 1h24’31”. Kilian Jornet finished second in 1h25’00” while Anton Palzer (GER) won bronze . These three were followed closely by Xavier Gachet, Matheo Jacquemoud, Matteo Eydallin, Didier Blanc, Alexis Sevennec, Martin Anthamatten, Virt Leo and Manfred Reichegger.

SENIOR WOMEN
Laetitia Roux left her adversaries with no chance and finished first in 1h27’36”; Switzerland's Jennifer Fiechter finished in second place in 1h30’01” and Spain's Claudia Cotrina finsihed third in 1h30’36”. The top ten finisher list also included Victoria Kreuzer, Katia Tomatis, Laura Orgué, Martina Valmassoi, Nahia Quincoces, Alba De Silvestro and Ida Nilsson.

ESPOIR
Among the Espoir women, De Silvestro (Italy) confirmed her excellent form be finishing the race first (1h36’15”) ahead of Marianne Fatton (Switzerland) and Joahanna Erhart (Austria). Among the men, as widely expected, Anton Palzer (3rd in the absolute leader board) stepped onto the highest podium (1h25’27”) ahead of Rèmi Bonnet (Switzerland) and Nadir Maguet (Italy).

JUNIORS
Davide Magnini took the European title and the World Cup event ahead of the other Italian Nicolò Canclini and Frenchman Samuel Equy. The Junior women race saw Lena Bonnel beat her teammate Adele Milloz and Giulia Murada (ITA).

CADETS
Among the Cadet athletes, Russia's Ekaterina Osichkina finished first ahead of Justine Tonso (FRA) and Samantha Bertolina (ITA). In the men's race Switzerland scored a triple podium with Florian Ulrich, Patrick Perreten and Aurélien Gay.

After the successful Individual races, the competitions continue today with the senior Vertical race. On Sunday, the Sprint challenge will be the grand finale of the three-day event.