Pellegrino takes break from father-to-be duties to win fourth Davos sprint
Dec 17, 2022·Cross-Country
Italy's Federico Pellegrino finished off a long Saturday in the best possible way as he snatched the men's sprint free victory at the Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Davos, Switzerland, before Norwegian favourite Johannes Høsflot Klæbo.
Klæbo, 26, had missed last week's World Cup action due to illness, and it looked like things were back to normal as the seven-time Olympic medallist turned on the jets to go from fifth place to the front in the second lap, leading the race as he came into the last stretch.
But Pellegrino refused to let the Norwegian go. The 32-year-old stayed with him and made a last push to slide past him in the last metres of the race, claiming his first World Cup victory this season, 0.15 seconds before Klæbo. France's Lucas Chanavat, who had been in the lead for most of the race, finished third.
The high altitudes of Davos seem to fit perfectly for Pellegrino, who lives in Italy's highest located region, Aosta Valley. It was the veteran's fourth sprint victory and seventh podium position in the Swiss ski resort.
"It was incredible as always," Pellegrino said.
"Here in Davos I have raced many, many, many times and it is always good. Thank you to the crowd, organisers and volunteers. Here I feel like home, so thank you very much."
And it is not too far away from his home. As his wife, fellow Italian skier Greta Laurent, is pregnant with the couple's first child, the couple had to wait until Saturday morning to decide whether "Chicco" would be able to drive the four and a half hours to Davos to compete.
"The day started at 03:00 in the morning at home in Aosta Valley in Italy. My wife was OK with the baby and she said 'OK, Chicco, go and try to do your best and then come back home'," Pellegrino said.
"It's like a dream now. It seems like I'm still sleeping. It's incredible."
Pellegrino, who missed last weekend's World Cup stop in Beitostølen, Norway, to be close to Greta, said his participation in Sunday's distance race would depend on how she is feeling.
"It depends on the contractions of my wife. If it was OK like today then I think that tomorrow I will take part in the 20km."
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