The XVII Mezzalama stopped before the start, 17th edition postponed

The 17th Mezzalama trophy has not started but the edition has not been cancelled. This morning the Bardoney stage at Breuil – Cervinia awoke fresh snow and a cold shower in the form of a postponed start. At 05.30 Adriano Favre, the technical director of the race since 1997, announced that conditions at altitude had become prohibitive.

Favre announced to the athletes "The mountain guides in charge of track security located at the watchtower and the refreshment points have communicated that weather conditions have deteriorated. The storm we'd expected to arrive late this morning has arrived earlier than expected and it's currently snowing along the entire racecourse. Furthermore, strong winds high on Castore and Naso del Lyskamm have resulted in dangerous snow drifts. I regret to inform you that in these conditions the Mezzalama trophy cannot take place. We hope to postpone the race to 2 May, but we still need to verify all the organisational aspects. We count on being able to confirm this as soon as possible." Not without sadness a big applause of solidarity was given from the thousands athletes to Favre and his staff, in confirmation that the postponement was inevitable.

The first problem that needed to be solved is that another race is scheduled to take place on 3 May, namely the "Trofeo Parravicini". This is the final race of the Italian ski mountaineering Cup in Alta Val Bremabana and fortunately this problem has already been already resolved. Early in the morning the Mezzalama staff contacted the organisers of the Bergamo CAI which, with a prompt and solidal answer provided the necessary OK to the Val D’Aosta colleagues.

"The Parravicini trophy celebrates its 60th birthday this year and is a historic younger brother of the Mezzalama trophy" declared Italian cup director Giovanni Capra. In the name of the region’s president Gianni Mascardi he added: "In the spirit of collaboration we are happy to delay our race for a week to enable the race on Mount Rosa to go ahead."

The Mezzalama staff and Aurelio Margueterraz, the region’s tourism and sport minister, is now working hard to resolve all the organisational problems connected to the delay of this "glacier marathon". Official confirmation will be provided as soon as possible that the 17th Mezzalama trophy will take place on the 2nd of May.

>> Read the presentation to the 17th Mezzalama Trophy 2009