New nations on top at FIS Rollerski World Cup in Madona
Aug 31, 2018·Cross-Country
On the second day of FIS Rollerski World Cupin Madona spectators saw more than 80 skiers in four groups competing in distances (16km for junior and senior ladies and 20km for senior and junior men) in free technique with mass start in the city centre of Madona. Two new nations – Slovakia and Sweden – earned their first glory in the Latvian city this year, meanwhile local nation was the only one, who collected victory second day in a row.
In three groups there were very close battles for wins with exciting sprint finishes. In junior women category World cup leader Moa Hansson pulled away from rivals and won with two and a half minute advantage, earning first victory in Madona for Sweden, who dominated in the first stage on home soil. Sprint winner Norwegian Julie Arnesen finished second, but another sprint specialist Alba Mortagna completed Top3.
Latvian Raimo Vigants grabbed second victory in junior men category, by showing his sprint and finisher skills and wining the 20km distance one second ahead of Italian Angelo Buttironi. Second day on the podium stepped third place winner Aleksander Grigoriev from Russia.
Fiercest fight for the win happened in the senior men group, where six fastest were separated by 1,5 second. 50m before finish line it looked like family Becchis could win second day in a row, but sprint winner’s Emanuele younger brother Francesco however lost a half second to Swedish Victor Gustafsson. Francesco for the first time was among top3 in senior group, while it was first Gustafsson’s victory in FIS World cup. Erik Silfver with third places provided second Sweden’s podium in this group.
In the senior women in 16km distance World Cup sprint winner in winter Slovakian Alena Prochazkova outsprinted the rivals on the final straight and won for the first time this season. Czech Sandra Schuetzova, who just missed out the podium in sprint on Friday, lost 1,8 seconds to winner and finished second. Meanwhile Jackline Lockner from Sweden changed her familiar second place with third.
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