By André Santos

From the 16^th to 19^th of September, the Italian region of Val di Fiemme hosted the FIS Roller Ski World Championships, and an Italian Pro Team athlete won some of the races, becoming a roller-ski world champion and a FIS Roller Ski World Cup winner.

Team Robinson Trentino’s athlete Matteo Tanel won the 16 km Freestyle race on the 16^th of September, finishing the course in 34 minutes and 32 seconds, 6 seconds ahead of second place. Matteo was able to win and become the World Champion in a very competitive race, where some very well-known names of cross-country skiing were fighting for the win, like Denis Spitsov and Eugeniy Dementiev.

Then, on the 19^th of September, the FIS Roller-ski World Championship had a classic 15 km race, on a course that follows along Val di Fiemme, passing along Cross-Country Ski Stadium Lago di Tesero and finishing with the famous climb of Alpe Cermis. Once again, Matteo Tanel was able to reach the podium. The Italian long-distance skier finished in the 3^rd position, 1 minute and 33 seconds behind the Russian Alexey Chervotkin who won the race.

This result made it possible for Mattei Tanel to win the FIS Roller Ski World Cup for the second time in his career.

In this race, there was also another Visma Ski Classics Pro Team athlete, who almost reached the podium. Tommaso Dellagiacoma, from Team Sottozero Trentino Zorzi Max, finished the course in the 4^th position, 10 seconds behind Matteo Tanel.

In addition to the FIS Roller-Ski Championships, the organizing committee decided to organize a race for Open and Master categories, and the Italian Visma Ski Classics Pro Teams participated and performed well.

The 15-kilometer Mass Start Alpe Cermis competition goes from Zianno Di Fiemme to Alpe Cermis Climb where every January the famous Tour de Ski finishes.

On the men’s side, Team Sottozero Trentino Zorzi Max’s Mauro Brigadoi took the victory in 17 minutes and 06 seconds. Besides winning the race, Mauro Brigadoi was also the fastest athlete completing the final climb.

The second place was conquered by Robinson Trentino Team’s new athlete Thomas Gifstad, showing good form in the first race as an athlete of the Italian Pro Team.

Then, Sottozero’s athletes Christian Lorenzi and Lorenzo Busin, who broke a roller-ski during the race, finished in the 3^rd and 4^th positions, respectively.

“We are very happy about today’s race results. I am sorry for Lorenzo Busin for having broken a roller-ski, but as a team it was a perfect day, despite the fact that roller-skiing is not our main goal,”says Michele Pasqualotto, Sottozero Trentino Team’s director.

On the women’s side, the new Robinson Trentino Team’s Swedish athlete Frida Erkers won the race, showing good shape for the season that is approaching. Also, another more experienced member of this Italian team, Chiara Caminada, managed to reach the 3^rd place.

“We are very happy about this day, after having presented our team for the next season, our new athletes were able to conquer top positions” says Bruno Debertolis, Pro Team Director.