Lebid beats Lel to take Montefortiana honours

Verona, ItalyHe had been outsprinted by Kenya's Paul Kipsiele Koech two days before Christmas in Brussels. He had been beaten again by Kenya's Edwin Soi at Campaccio in a very close finish a couple of weeks ago. So, when at the 27th Montefortiana Turà, another Kenyan Martin Lel was trying hard to inflict a third consecutive third defeat Ukraine's Sergiy Lebid thought: "I can't lose". He won in the last metre the 10.6Km loop road race held Sunday afternoon (20) in Monteforte d'Alpone, near Verona.

Italy's Bruna Genovese took the honour in the women's race (6km).

MEN - Everything left to the last lap

Last year Moses Mosop had done a solo run against the time, setting a new course record with 29:08. It was a very stunning time, given the up-and-down 1.5km course. This year the race was completely different. Neither Lel nor Lebid, the pre-race favourites, took the initiative before the 5th of 7 laps. The first lap split (4:44) was just 13 seconds faster than women's one. With three laps to go, eight men were still in the lead.

During the 5th lap Lel increased the pace and just Lebid and Italy's surprising Denis Curzi followed him. When the last lap bell rang, the trio was still fighting shoulder-to-shoulder, while another three athletes (Erastus Chirchir, Abdelhadi El Hachimi and Alfred Sang Kiprop) were ten seconds behind.

Lel tried to change the pace again with 1 km to go. Curzi was dropped, Lebid wasn't. The Kenyan launched the sprint in the slightly uphill final 200m and at one point he seemed undoubtedly the winner. However, Lebid pushed until the end and overcame Lel by some centimetres at the finish line. Curzi closed in third place.

Lebid - Cross country and World Indoor

"I was able to catch Lel just in the last 30 metres," Lebid recalled. "I am very satisfied to beat such a champion."

After his 7th European title in Toro (Spain) last month, the Ukrainian has still planned a pair of cross country races. "I race in San Sebastian next week and then in San Vittore Olona for the Cinque Mulini," he continued." Then if I am able to run under 7:45 at the 3000m, I would like to take part in the World Indoor Championships in Valencia." He is already thinking of this summer as well. "The Olympic Games is the most important event," he said. "I would like to compete, in the 5000m or 10,000m.”

Lel - Lisbon and then London

"I did my best to win, but Lebid was stronger than me today," said the 2007 London and New York Marathon winner. "It's natural, I'm just starting my training for the marathon, while Lebid is in top shape for the cross country."

Lel was also very disturbed by the dramatic situation in his country, a kind of civil war in many areas, among which Eldoret, the place he lives in. "It's a very bad situation," he added. "It's difficult to train, it's difficult mostly to find safe courses for long training."

He arrived in Italy a day after the schedule, as he could not take the flight in Eldoret because of some fighting near the airport. "My coach, my manager and I are thinking to go to Namibia in order to train quietly." He will race in London in order to win for the third time after his 2005 and 2007 victories. "My only race before London is Lisbon Half Marathon on 16 March," he concluded.

WOMEN – Genovese takes a solo victory

Genovese didn't have any big rival and won easily. She ran a very flat pace, little less than 5 minutes every lap and closed with a time of 19:56, ahead of compatriots Gegia Gualtieri and Stefania Benedetti. "It was a good test," Genovese said about the race.

In the next month she will race many times, the most important one is the Rome-Ostia Half Marathon on 24 February. Then she will leave for Albuquerque, the usual training place for her and his coach Salvatore Bettiol, a strong former marathon runner.

"My goal for 2008 is Beijing," Genovese admitted, but before the Olympics she is focusing on Boston Marathon (21 April). It is a "lucky" race for her. She has already run four times since 2001, taking a 3rd place in 2005 and a 4th place in 2006, when she set her PB of 2:25:28.

Alberto Zorzi for the IAAF

Selected Results

Men (10.6km):
 1. Sergiy Lebid, UKR, 30:48
 2. Martin Lel, KEN, 30:48
 3. Denis Curzi, ITA  31:03
 4. Erastus Chirchir, KEN, 31:17
 5. Abdelhadi El Hachimi, MOR, 31:19

Women (6km):
 1. Bruna Genovese, ITA, 19:56
 2. Gegia Gualtieri, ITA, 20:13
 3. Stefania Benedetti, ITA, 20:24