Baldaccini sets Vanoni alight
Baldaccini flying in Morbegno
Alex Baldaccini continued his very strong 2012 season on Sunday as he broke Marco de Gasperi’s course record at the 55th Trofeo Vanoni. The Italian sped off from the gun to rip round the tough Morbegno course in 28:21, a full 24 seconds up on de Gasperi’s mark…
However, Baldaccini’s efforts were not to be enough in this three-man relay event as Atletica Valli Bergamasche with Luca Cagnati, Xavier Chevrier and Massimiliano Zanaboni took the overall honours. Baldaccini’s GS Orobie team had to settle for third.
The UK was represented as Murray Strain, Robbie Simpson and Rob Hope made the trip, courtesy of the Snowdon Race, as did Tessa Hill and Helen Fines – all travelled as part of the representative teams who exchange between this great race and the Snowdon event each year.
Robbie Simpson at Trofeo Vanoni
The Snowdon men put up a great fight against some top Italian opposition, finishing 4th in 1:32:29, around a minute and a half down on winners Atletica Valli Bergamasche. In the women’s race Hill and Fines came up against some world class opposition in the form of Italy’s Alice Gaggi and Valentina Belotti (Team 99). However, the Snowdon women’s pairing put up a great fight to take 5th, around four minutes down on Team 99.
Tessa gives us the low-down on how things panned out for the Snowdon Race girls via her blog here.
After a fairly fast start through the town we hit the hill. I reeled in a lot of people there as I started a bit too slow. I climbed pretty well and got up to 6th at the top. I have to confess I was expecting another 250m climb but I quickly realised I was on the traverse before I had to cope with a steep descent. I am not the best descender and I lost a place here to one of the many Italian maniacs who threw themselves off the hill. I enjoyed the final sprint through the streets and I handed over to Helen. She did the business and we finished in 5th.
Wales also sent four teams to the event, two in the men’s event and two in the women’s race. Rhianwedd Price and Sarah Livett (49:04) performed fantastically for 6th, just 24 seconds down on Hill and Fines, with Rhianwedd’s sister Ffion partnering up with Sarah Ridgway to take 8th in 49:48.
On the men’s side the Welsh men’s team of Lloyd Heckler, Nathan Jones and Gwynant Jones just upstaged counterparts Alun Vaughan, Ifan Richards and Josh Griffiths to finish in 15th and 16th respectively.
More info via this WMRA report and the Trofeo Vanoni site here, with full women’s results here and men’s final positions here
