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Dolomites SkyRace 2014 – RACE IMAGES
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Dolomites SkyRace 2014 – Results and initial images
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Kilian Jornet (Salomon) has done the unthinkable… just 7-days after winning and setting a new course record at the legendary Hardrock 100 in America, the Catalan has won the Dolomites SkyRace.
It’s impossible to convey or express the ability that Kilian Jornet harnesses within his slender frame. The word, ‘Legend’ is used a great deal in our sport but in Kilian Jornet we have someone that not only deserves the title but almost re-defines it.
- Kilian Jornet 2:03:50
- Ionut Zinca 2:05:20
- Tadei Pivk 2:05:21
- Manuel Merillas 2:07:29
- Alexis Sevennec 2:07:54
Laura Orgue (Salomon) produced an incredible weekend doube, winning the VK on Friday and the SkyRace on Sunday. The incredible uphill machine opened up a huge gap on the ascent to Piz Boe and held off a charging Emelie Forsberg who moved up from 4th, some 7-minutes back at the summit to just over a minute at the line. Incredible racing!
- Laura Orgue 2:26:17
- Emelie Forsberg 2:27:40
- Maite Maiora 2:31:58
- Christel Dewalle 2:35:53
- Anna Kozielska 2:36:23
Full Results to view HERE
RACE IMAGES HERE
Kids racing – Dolomites SkyRace, Canazei
Great to see an afternoon of sport dedicated to runners of the future in Canazei. Athletes from Team Salomon Running were on hand to help out, pace, support and motivate.
Jono Wyatt paced one group and apparently found the pace a little tough at the front. Tom Owens just 1-week after placing 3rd at Ice Trail Tarentaise had to ease back in the 1.8km race as the pace was relentless.
Kilian Jornet and Emelie Forsberg were on hand to cheer and support.
Great atmosphere, great buzz and the sun was shining throughout. A great day and great way to give back to the sport.
Dolomites Vertical Kilometer #VK 2014 – Race Day Images
Incredible sunshine, clear skies and huge crowds welcomed runners from all over the world for Canazei Vertical Kilometer, part of the 2014 Skyrunner® World Series.
Runners departed in waves of approximately 25-runners to tackle the steep and grassy slopes of the VK.
For the men, last years 2nd place Urban Zemmer produced a dominant performance pulling away from his La Sportiva teammates, Nejc Kuhar and Marc Moletto for a convincing win. Last years winner Kilian Jornet placed 7th which was an incredible performance comjng just days after his Hardrock 100 win and course record.
For the ladies, VK specialist Laura Orgue fought off a strong battle from Christel Dewalle and Antonella Confortola, last years winner placed 3rd.
Men
- Urban Zemmer 32:51
- Nejc Kuhar 33:45
- Marc Moletto 34:04
- Philip Gotsch 34:18
- Rhorbjorn Ludvigsen 34:31
Ladies
- Laura Orgue 38:14
- Christel Dewalle 38:34
- Antonella Confortola 39:36
- Victoria Kreuzer 40:42
- Francesca Rossi 41:30
Dolomites SkyRace 2014 Race Preview
Hot on the heels of the Dolomites VK, just 2-days later, a super stacked field of elite and non-elite runners will tackle the incredible slopes of the Dolomites. Starting in the town of Canazei, the Skyrunner® World Series Dolomites SkyRace® has for many years represented an ideal playground for the world’s top athletes. The steep technical course and spectacular panoramas it offers has runners coming back for more time and again. On Sunday, 600+ runners will start the race. Last year, Kilian broke the male ascent record set by Augusti Roc to Piz Boe and Emelie Forsberg broke the female descent record set by Angela Mudge.
The quality of runners, particularly in the men’s field is very deep and therefore a surprise could come from anywhere.
Kilian Jornet has just run 100-miles and as you read this he will be toeing the line in the Vertical Kilometer. Kilian says he feels good but he is absolutely sure that the running and winning of Hardrock 100 will impact on his performances in the Dolomites. I can understand his caution… however; we are talking about Kilian Jornet so topping the podium in Canazei is a distinct possibility.
Tadei Pivk had a great race last year taking the 3rd podium place and a repeat performance on a course he knows well is a distinct possibility. Marco De Gasperi will not race this year due to injury so does that open the door for Tadei?
Ionut Zinca and Alexis Sevennec rounded out the top-5 last year over 7-minutes behind a storming Kilian Jornet. Both Ionut and Alexis appear to be in great form at the moment. Ionut in particular is currently lying 4th in the Skyrunner® World Series so he will be looking for more valuable points.
Zaid Ait Malek – Haria Extreme
Aritz Egea and Zaid Ait Malek are extremely strong performers over the SKY distance and we have seen them both excel at races such as Zegama-Aizkorri and last years, Limone Extreme. At the Skyrunning World Champions in Chamonix, Aritz ran a great race with a top-10 finish. However, Zaid had a bad day at the office after looking like podium potential in the early stages.
Erik Dagsson Haugsness inov-8
Eirik Haugsness had the race of his life at the Skyrunning World Championships producing an excellent top-10 performance in the wet and cold conditions. Eirik has all the potential for a repeat top-10 performance in this super stacked field and should things go well, a top-5 is a distinct possibility.
Bernard Dematteis and Martin Dematteis are an exciting addition the SkyRace and they will be looking to bring fast running and vertical climbing ability to contest with the front of the race. They showed everyone a clean pair of heals in Transvulcania running one of the shorter races and it’s fair to say that this duo will potentially cause some fireworks in Canazei.
David Schneider has been quiet this year and may well just sneak under the radar. We saw some excellent performances from David in 2013 and this will be his first Skyrunning race for 2014, I expect he will want to make an impact.
Who else is hot!
Thorbjorn Ludvigsen
Nicolas Pianet
Matheo Jacquemoud
Miguel Caballero
Manuel Merillos
Jordi Bes Ginesta
Fabio Bazzana
Ones to watch:
Etienne Van Gasse
Oscar Casal Mir
Marc Casal Mir
Hassan Ait Chau
Dabid Garcia
Inake Uribe
Es Tressider
Espen Mikkelsen
Matteo Piller Hoffer
Marco Viscentini
Gionni Morocutti
Michele Zannier
Marco Errath
Marco Marcuzzi
Mirco Lazzara
Michele Vicario
Marco Segrado
Andrea De Bona
Eric Diaz
David Lopez
Dani Tristany
Alfredo Gil
Paolo Bert
Michele Tavernaro
Aleksander Ivakin
Just Sociats
Pere Aurell
Josep Vines
Pere Rullan
Antonio Roldan
Emelie Forsberg ©iancorless.com
Emelie Forsberg decided not to run the Vertical Kilometer as she felt she needed a little more recovery and easier running after her victory at the tough (and long) Ice Trail Tarentaise just last weekend. This is a wise move and on this pure Skyrunning course, Emelie is hot favourite for the win.
Maite Maiora placed 4th behind Emelie last year almost 11-minutes back, however, Maite is a different runner this year and I personally think we can expect to see her pushing closer to the front.
Antonella Confortola is spreading her works from her favourite VK distance and tackling the slopes of Piz Boe. Antonella will be a contender for the podium as will the other VK specialist, Laura Orgue. Laura doesn’t seem to run many races outside the VK distance, however, when she does she performs at the highest level. These two ladies will bring an interesting dynamic to the race.
Stephanie Jiminez is a pure short distance mountain runner and VK specialist and the Dolomites SkyRace will suit her skill set. Stephanie will be in the mix, pushing all the other ladies to the line.
Victoria Wilkinson from the UK is an exciting prospect. A string of top quality results and performances on home soil bode well for a strong performance here in the Dolomites. The biggest question marks will come in adaptation to altitude and the tough, long, steep and technical terrain that this course offers.
Celine Lafaye has had a quiet 2014 but can’t be ruled out of a top-5 performance. I am just not sure of her current form?
Ones to watch:
Leire Agirrezabala
Uxoa Irigoien
Paola Romanin
Maria Dimitria Theocharis
Laia Andreu Trias
Montse Martinez Guerrero
Anna Comet
Lisa Buzzoni
Chiara Gianola
Eva Moreda
Race Results from 2013:
Men
1. JORNET KILIAN (ESP) SALOMON SANTIVERI – 2h00’11”
2. DE GASPERI MARCO (ITA) GS FORESTALE – 2h00’14”
3. PIVK TADEI (ITA) CRAZY IDEA – 2h04’10”
4. ZINCA IONUT (ROU) VALETUDO SKYRUNNING – 2h07’26”
5. SEVENNEC ALEXIS (FRA) CRAZY IDEA – 2h07’58”
Women
1. FORSBERG EMELIE (SWE) SALOMON 2h26’52”
2. SERAFINI SILVIA (ITA) SALOMON AGISKO – 2h36’55”
3. DOMINGUEZ NURIA (ESP) TEAM ESPANA – 2h37’41
4. MAIORA MAITE (ESP) TEAM ESPANA – 2h37’58
5. WISNIEWSKA DOMINIKA (POL) – TEAM POLAND – 2h40’30”
Skyrunning HERE
Dolomites SkyRace HERE
Vertical Kilometre Canazei, Dolomites 2014 Race Preview
The Vertical Kilometre located in the heart of Canazei is one of the toughest and most beautiful VK’s in the Skyrunner® World Series.
Starting in a lush green field the course takes a direct line to the summit, initially through dense forests the course then opens up to show the Dolomite mountain range in all their beauty.
The course is not technical at all. However, what is misses in technicality is compensated for in gradient and difficulty. The whole course is grass and forest path and as such is very slippery, especially if the ground has had recent rain. In sections, the course is well over a 50% gradient and therefore, the use of poles is almost essential.
Unlike Chamonix or the recent Val D’Isère VK, the Canazei VK is run in ‘waves’ and not individually with ‘timed’ starts. This therefore creates an interesting dynamic on the mountain and also brings an element of tactics into play as we saw in 2013 when Kilian Jornet made a move in the final 100-meters to move past to fellow runners, take the lead and not only win the race but set a course record.
Waves will have approximately 25-runners and the key elite waves will depart (local time) 11:00, 11:04 (ladies) and 11:08.
The start list for 2014 as usual is extremely impressive and we can certainly expect to see a battle royal on the steep grassy slopes of Canazei.
Men
Remarkably, just days after winning and setting a new course record at Hardrock 100, Kilian Jornet will toe the line not only in the VK but the SKY race. Under normal circumstances one would have to say that any runner would be tired… but this is Kilian! So, he’s the favourite.
Urban Zemmer will push Kilian as in 2013 and this time will be waiting and prepared should Kilian ‘make a move’ in the final meters. If Zemmer has the strength, he will look to turn the tables in 2014.
The Dematteis brothers, Bernard and Martin will definitely be contesting the top-5 places and how they perform will very much depend if they decide to use ‘poles.’ They are pure runners and although one can run this VK course, I would say that you are at a disadvantage without them! To put this in perspective, even Kilian uses poles and that doesn’t happen very often.
2013 3rd place, Philip Gotsch returns and although I am not up to date on his current form, one has to give top billing based on his 2013 performance.
Marco Moletto will hopefully bring his top-quality VK form to Canazei and almost certainly will be looking to be in the mix at the front end of the race. His winning performance 36:50 at Val D’Isere will give him a boost, however, the competition is greater in the Dolomites.
Nejc Kuhar had a strong showing in Val D’Isere (2nd just 8-secs behind Moletto) at the VK Face Bellevarde and although the Dolomites VK course has different characteristics, we can expect the La Sportiva runner to be close to the top-5.
Eirik Haugsnes had a disappointing Chamonix VK but followed up with a great performance in the Chamonix Sky race. Eirik like to run VK’s and therefore this VK may not suit his skill set. It will be interesting to see if he uses poles.
Nadir Maguet, Thorbjorn Ludvigsen, Alexis Sevennec and Tadei Pivk will all be in the mix. It’s anyone’s to call.
Ones to watch:
- Matheo Jacquemoud
- Marco Facchinhelli
- Dabid Garcia
- Inaka Uribe
- William Bon Mardion
- Joan Freixa Marcelo
- Marc Pinsach
- Juan Navarro
Ladies
2013 champion Antonella Confortola returns and on a course were poles play an integral part in race success, one has to tip Antonella for the win again. Last weekend, Antonella paced 2nd behind Laura Orgue in Val D’Isere saying that, ‘I ran too hard in the early stages.’ However, Antonella beat her VK time for the same course set some 10-years earlier.
Laura Orgue despite her skiing background is less familiar with poles and this may put her at a disadvantage on this course. But, Laura knows how to run VK’s and she will be in the mix for sure.
Emelie Forsberg says she is still learning how to run a VK but she placed 2nd on this course in 2012, so we may very well see a repeat performance despite Emelie placing out of the top-3 in Val D’Isere.
Christel Dewalle cannot be ruled out of any VK race and she is a last minute entry here in Canazei. Last weekend, Christel won the ‘Altispeed’ race in Val D’Isere.
Iva Milesova was only 8-seconds behind Emelie in 2013 and if the Czech runner has the same form, top-5 is a great possibility. It will all come down to the speed of the race and if anyone can match the pace set by Confortola.
Maite Mairoa and Stephanie Jiminez will both be in the mix and although great mountain vertical runners they are not as familiar with using poles. I believe that doth will use them for Canazei so it will be interesting to see how they get on.
Ones to watch:
- Celine Lafaye
- Leire Agirrezabala
- Uxoa Irigoien
- Francesca Rossi
- Alba Xandri
Links:
Skyrunning HERE
Dolomites Skyrace and VK website HERE
2013 race summary HERE
Race results 2013:
- Kilian Jornet 32:43 – SPA – * new course record
- Urban Zemmer 32:50 – ITA
- Philip Gotsch 32:54 – ITA
- Antonella Confortola 41:02 – ITA
- Emelie Forsberg 43:01 – SWE
- Iva Milesova 43:09 – CZE
Speedgoat 50k 2014 Race Preview
The Skyrunner® World Series continues at a pace just 2-weeks after the Skyrunning World Championships where Skyrunners® participated in all three classic disciplines of VK, SKY and ULTRA. Now, attention moves to Italy and the stunning town of Canazei and the amazing Dolomites for a VK and SKY race and to the USA for the ULTRA Speedgoat 50k.
Speedgoat, as the name would suggest was created by Mr Ultra himself, ‘Speedgoat Karl Meltzer. Over the years the event has increased in profile at a pace and this year, once again, sees a quality line up both in the male and female fields.
Located at Snowbird Ski Resort in Utah the 50k weave a route around the mountains offering a tough and sometimes technical day out at altitude.
This is the 3rd edition of the race in the Skyrunner® World Series and it is now also included US Skyrunner® National Series.
Men
Sage Canaday UROC ©iancorless.com
Sage Canaday is returning after setting a course record last year with a time of 5:08. On paper, he has to be the favourite again this year. The combination of runnable terrain and 50k distance suits Sage’s strengths. He will likely go out hard and hold on… he did that last year and it worked, just!
Anton Krupicka, Cavalls del Vent, 2012 ©iancorless.com
Anton Krupicka was hot on Sage’s heels last year and with a couple of wins under his belt in 2014, the most recent at Lavaredo Ultra Trail in Italy, one has to think that Anton may provide a real battle this year (as last year). In reality, 50k is just way too short for Anton. In a recent interview, he told me he only starts to feel good and relaxed after 3-hours. So, expect him to be hovering somewhere in the top-10 early on and then move up.
Alex Nichols Chamonix ©iancorless.com
Alex Nichols may be a surprise on the Speedgoat course and after missing a couple of races with injury; he may well be chomping at the bit for a good run here. In Zegama, thinks didn’t go too well leaving a question mark, however, on this course, with less travel and some decent prep I can’t help but think we will see Alex mix it up. Earlier this year he won Red Hot 55km and set a CR at Greenland 50k. One to watch!
Ricky Gates has just done a stint of pacing for Kilian Jornet at Hardrock 100 and if nothing else, that must make him feel fired up for a great run at Speedgoat. Ricky ran a great race in 2012 when ‘Kilian Gate’ kicked off and the whole switchback debacle. What is important is the time Ricky ran, 5:18. That places him as definite contender for top-5 this year.
Mike Wolfe looked awesome in Chamonix for the Skyrunning World Championship 80k event. Trading blows with eventual 2nd place runner, Francois D’Haene, it looked like ‘Wolfepaw’ was going to make the podium. However, in the latter stages the wheels came off and he placed 8th which for many would be a great result. However, the disappointment was clear leaving Mike with question marks. The questions soon disappeared at the sight of his newborn baby though… it’s all about perspective. Mike is a class act and he will be in the mix.
Luke Nelson placed 6th last year but he was well over 30-minutes back from Sage Canaday. Considering Luke’s record and his ability over longer races (recently won Bighorn 100) he has the technical skill set to run well at Speedgoat but may well lack the speed to keep up with the front of the race, so, top-5 would be a great result.
We can also expect to see Jorge Maravilla mixing it up and potentially Hal Koerner but it may be a little too short for Hal
Ladies
Anna Frost won with Speedgoat with 6:26 in 2012 and as we all know had a prolonged period of injury and illness afterwards. Her return to form at Transvulcania La Palma and not only winning the race, but also setting a new CR was nothing less than miraculous. Frosty seems to have the ‘love’ for running back and as we all know, when you have that, the miles fly along. A recent 2nd to Emelie Forsberg at the Skyrunning World Championships shows the form is still primed and ready to be unleashed on the Speedgoat course. Like Ricky, Frosty must also feel inspired after pacing Kilian to that Hardrock record. But Frosty won’t have an easy ride…
Ellie Greenwood was missing for much of 2013 with injury but she is back and running strong. Ellie has the outright speed to win Speedgoat but may well lack some of the technical attributes of Frosty, so, that makes for an interesting battle. Ellie’s recent win at Comrades was incredible and I think we will see something special on this course.
Kasie Enman was flying at Zegama-Aizkorri and that was after a red-eye flight, no sleep and jet lagged. Powering up the climbs in the lead, we thought a surprise win was on the cards. It wasn’t to be, the fatigue hit in the latter stages and she placed 5th. Kasie is on the comeback trail after having a baby and I can’t help but think she will get stronger and stronger. Kasie’s performances at the Skyrunning World Championships were creditable but not reflective of her ability. Kasie’s 4th in the SKY race shows the improvements are coming and the podium at Speedgoat may be in her grasp.
Tina Lewis may well be a dark horse! Tina has been away from racing for sometime and although entered in several races in 2014, she was a no show. However, her daily exploits on Facebook are inspiring and if she can bring it all together on race day, I think we will see a potential top-5?
Other ladies to watch who will mix it up with the front:
Kerrie Bruxvoort, Ashley Arnold, Bethany Lewis, Joelle Vaught and of course so many more…
Skrunning HERE
Speedgoat 50k website HERE
Ice Trail Tarentaise 2014 – Race Day Images & Report
Race day images from the 2014 Skyrunning Ice Trail Tarentaise
Race start images HERE
Press conference images HERE
It was a tough day in the mountains with low mist, persistent rain and at times, very cold temperatures. Francois d’Haene, runner up in 2013 and winner in 2012 was one again on top of the podium with a strong and dominant performance.
Equally, 2013 champion, Emelie Forsberg produced a great back-to-back performance and lead the ladies race from beginning to end.
Newly crowned Skyrunning Ultra World Champion, Luis Alberto Hernando was a key protagonist for much of the race but decided to drop in the latter stages. We can only assume that fatigue was an issue after his impressive performance in Chamonix!
Tom Owens from the UK ran at the from of the race all day and although he gave a place away in the latter stages to Fabian Antolinos from France (who placed 2nd), he was really pleased with a podium place.
Francesca Canepa had expected to be a force in the ladies race, however, an early fall took her out leaving the podium places wide open. Allessandra Carlini (Italy) and Maud Gobert (France) battled for much of the day and it was Carlini who managesd to sprint for the line and take 2nd.
Men
- Francois d”Haene 7:38
- Fabian Antonilos 7:56
- Tom Owens 8:02
Ladies
- Emelie Forsberg 9:25
- Allessandra Carlini 9:42
- Maud Gobert 9:42+
Attention now turns to Canazei and the Dolomites. This coming Friday is a VK and on Sunday it is the Dolomites Skyrace which will see both Emelie Forsberg and Kilian Jornet race.
All images available to purchase at iancorless.photoshelter.com
Ice Trail Tarentaise 2014 – Race Start Images
The 2014 Ice Trail Tarentaise got underway at 0400 Sunday 13th July. It was a wet start but temperatures were mild and everyone was enthusiastic at the tough challenge that would be ahead.
Ones to watch in the men are Francois d’Haene winner of the ITT in 2012 and 2nd in 2013 behind Kilian Jornet and Luis Alberto Hernando who beat Francois in Chamonix just 2-weeks ago.
For the ladies, Emelie Forsberg 2013 champion returns but she will have strong competition from Francesca Canepa and Maud Gobert amongst others.
Race Preview HERE
Ice Trail Tarentaise Press Conference Images 2014
The Skyrunner World Series – Ice Trail Tarentaise gets underway at 0400 Sunday 13th July from the town of Val D’Isere, France.
A press conference was held today, 1100hrs with many of the top elite runners assembled.
Luis Alberto Hernando and Emelie Forsberg, were crowned Skyrunning World Champions just 2-weeks ago in Chamonix. Will they be triumphant in Val D’Isere?
Luis will have strong competition from Francois d’Haene who placed 2nd to Kilian Jornet in the 2013 edition. In addition, we can expect strong performances from Tom Owens, Fulvio Dapit, Fabien Antolinos, Caine Warburton, Vlad Ixel, Matt Cooper plus many more!
Francesca Canepa from Italy has been a last minute entry and will pressure Emelie along with Nuria Dominguez.
You can read a race preview HERE
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