Sergiy Lebid running in the 2003 Boclassic Silvesterlauf in Bolzano (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
Tourcoing, FranceFollowing last year's success, Ukraine's Sergiy Lebid will bid for a second victory in Tourcoing as the 19th Cross Auchan Lille Metropole – the French event of the IAAF cross-country circuit – which will be held this Sunday, 1 February.
However, Lebid will have to keep a close eye on youngsters such as Fabian Joseph of Tanzania, 5th last year but on the rise this season, and the young Kenyan sensation Nicholas Kemboi who'll be making his return to the international cross-country scene. Poor weather conditions are expected according to recent forecasts.
Though this season Lebid hasn’t renewed last year’s impressive win streak when he successively won in Campaccio, Belfast, Vallagarina, Tourcoing and Milan, he can still boast an impressive recent record. With the exception of his 5th place in Amorebieta on 4 January due to a late arrival, the Ukranian was only defeated by Paul Tergat in Brussels, and by Kenenisa Bekele and Patrick Ivuti in Campaccio. For the rest of his competitions, he conquered a fourth European crown, won on the road in Bolzano at New Year, and his last outing a fortnight ago in Rovereto was also concluded by victory.
Tanzania's Fabian Joseph can be counted on as the main challenger. Since he clinched the silver medal at the World Half Marathon in Vilamoura last October, the 18 year-old has been accumulating top placings, finishing in the top five places of the half-a-dozen races he has taken part in. A victory in the IAAF permit event in Llodio, Spain on 30 November, and a second place on Tergat's heels in Belfast account are so far his most notable achievements.
The final outcome of the race could however lie in the hands – or rather in the legs – of 20 year-old Kenyan Nicholas Kemboi who turned from a good junior - 4th at the 2001 World Cross and 7th in 2002 – into the new Kenyan sensation when he almost denied Haile Gebreselassie victory over 10,000m in Brussels last summer, setting the second best time in the world for 2003 (26:30.22) in the process.
The remaining opposition will mainly come from Kenyans such as Daniel Gachara (3rd in Belfast) Julius Kiptoo (3rd in Tourcoing in 2003) or 1997 World Steeplechase champion Wilson Boit Kipketer (10th at the Kenyan Armed Forces cross-country championships), and the Moroccans, Khalid El Amri and Said Berioui.
Kalovics looks to return to winning ways
In the women's event, Anna Kalovics of Hungary was until a week ago set to be the hot favourite according to her season's racing credentials which has included a bronze medal at the European championships behind Paula Radcliffe and Elvan Abeylegesse, and two victories in Campaccio on 10 January and Rovereto on the 18th.
However last weekend the Hungarian’s season was marked by a setback when she was surprisingly defeated to 5th in the Lotto Cross Cup in Hannut, Belgium, a race won by Ethiopian Teyiba Erkesso.
On Sunday both athletes will have a new opportunity to gauge their strengths against the probable ambitions of Rahab Ndungu of Kenya who won the "Cross Ouest-France" in Le Mans two weeks ago, and was ranked 3rd in San Sebastian last Sunday.
Of the rest, the secondary African line-up is composed of Irene Limika and Maria Busienei from Kenya and Moroccan Bouchra Chaabi, while European athletes like Charlotte Dale of Britain (4th last year) or the French representatives (Rkia Chebili, Zahia Dahmani, Rodica Moroianu, Laurence Duquenoy, Fatima Yvelain…) could also be in with a chance.
