Here is a short report on how the Italian Skitime.it web site described the first World Cup relay of the season for the Italian men’s and women’s team: Â
Italy Second In Gallivare
After the bad performance in yesterday’s individual classic race, the Italian athletes redeemed themselves in the 4 x 10-kilometer men’s relay, by capturing second place, just behind Germany.Â
Giorgio Di Centa skied very well, and was able to finish in the lead group  despite a hard crash. Good performance by Fulvio Valbusa as well in the most difficult part of the race. Pietro Piller, who has been able to catch up to the lead group in past relays, did it again! Very good was also the performance of Zorzi, who could do nothing against a Teichmann that at this time is 2 steps ahead of everybody else. A well deserved and welcomed podium by the Italian men.
France surprised with third, after the disqualification of Russia.
In the women’s' relay, the first two Italian skiers lost ground to the top teams and made it impossible to get to the podium. Sabina Valbusa and Gabriella Paruzzi skied well however and brought the team up to 5th place.
Men’s relay:
1 Germania 1:33:37.4 2 Italia I (Di Centa/Valbusa/Piller Cottrer/Zorzi) +1.8 3 Francia +25.1 4 Svezia +41.5 5 Norvegia I +1:36.9 6 Svezia II +1:50.0 7 Kazakhstan I +1:52.2 8 Repubblica Ceca +2:13.8 9 Finlandia +2:13.8 10 Russia +2:50.5 13 Italia II (Kostner/Checchi/Santus/Schwienbacher) +4:09.4 14 12 United States of America USA *11:40:00 1:37:49.5 +4:12.1 15 20 Sweden Nat. I SWE *11:40:00 1:38:43.8 +5:06.4 16 16 Kazakhstan II KAZ *11:40:00 1:39:04.8 +5:27.4 17 18 RUS/KAZ FIS *11:40:00 1:39:05.0 +5:27.6 18 19 Sweden Nat. II SWE *11:40:00 1:39:55.5 +6:18.1 3 4 Russia I RUS *11:40:00 1:33:41.1 +3.7 ******* DNS 6 Estonia EST *11:40:00 DNS 21 * 1
Women’s relay:
Norvegia I (Bjoernaas/Skofterud/Pedersen/Bjoergen) 52:51.9 2 Finlandia (Vaelima/Kuitunen/Saarinen/Lassila) +4.1 3 Germania (Boehler/Sachenbacher/Reschwamm Schulze/Kuenzel) +30.8 4 Russia I +37.3 5 Italia I (Longa/Kelder/S. Valbusa/Paruzzi) +1:10.1 6 Russia II +1:11.9 7 Norvegia II +1:20.0 8 Ger/Can +1:35.1 9 Svezia I +1:52.7 10 Estonia +1:52.9 11 Kazakhstan I +1:58.8 12 Italia II (Genuin/S. Santer/Confortola/Follis) +2:23.2 13 Bielorusssia +2:39.3 14 Repubblica Ceca +2:45.7 15 Rus/Svi/Kor +2:47.9
Source: SkiTime.it
