News18 Jan 2004


Kalovics and Lebid beat the snow in Rovereto

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Aniko Kalovics of Hungary in Vallagarina (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)

Hungary's Aniko Kalovics and Ukraine's Sergiy Lebid respectively won the women's and men's races at the 27th edition of the Vallagarina Cross Country  - EAA permit - near Rovereto in snowy and cold conditions today.

The very difficult weather conditions which made the tough up-and-down course much more difficult, could not stop the Hungarian Kalovics from continuing her successful winter campaign after last week’s victory at Campaccio in San Giorgio su Legnano. 

Kalovics took the lead from the beginning and her usual front-running tactics enabled her to build up a 20-metres gap early over last year’s winner Dorcus Inzikuru from Uganda. She increased her lead to 30 metres with two laps to go, as the fight for third place between Ethiopia’s Meselesh Melkamu, and 2002’s Vallagarina winner Rita Jeptoo, unfolded.

Last ditch attack by Inzikuru

Kalovics had a lead of seven seconds over Inzikuru at the bell, but the young African, a former World junior 5000m champion, tried to close the gap and launched a devastating attack with 200 metres to go.

However, Kalovics was just able to hold-off Inzikuru’s kick and took a 2 second’s win. Melkamu finished third, two seconds ahead of Jeptoo.

“Today it was terribly cold. I don’t like this kind of muddy and icy courses, although the weather conditions here are similar to what I usually find when I train at home," said Kalovics.

"When Dorcus Inzikuru launched her attack it became very tough and I feared that the win was in danger. Fortunately, I managed to resist and clinched my second win in a row. Now I will run in Hannut (Belgium) next week, and in Tourcoing (France) on 1 February before taking a well-deserved rest."

"For this reason I will skip the World Cross Country Championships in Brussels to focus on the 10,000 metres at the Olympics in Athens,” confirmed Kalovics.

Second win for Lebid

Sergiy Lebid took his second consecutive win in Vallagarina, 19 seconds ahead of the Italian pairing of Giuliano Battocletti and Umberto Pusterla.

Lebid took the lead in the second lap, as he realised the initial pace set by Battocletti and Uganda’s Wilson Businei was too slow, and after two laps the four-times European Cross champion had established a 30 metres lead.

Pusterla, fourth placer in Belfast last week, started conservately in the first two laps, but closed the gap on the chasing group made up of Businei, Battocletti and Maurizio Leone.

With two laps to go Lebid had a comfortable lead of 15 seconds over Battocletti, his club teammate at 'Cover Verbania'. At the bell the 36-year-old Pusterla launched his attack in an attempt to clinch second place.

Up front, Lebid increased his lead to 19 seconds, which was a gap he managed to keep until the finish-line. It was one of his last outings in the cross country season before embarking on a short indoor campaign prior to the World Indoor Championships in Budapest, 5 - 7 March. He will return to cross country only at the end of March for the World Cross in Brussels.

“At the Campaccio I was very tired, so I took a rest ahead of this race," said Lebid. "I felt in better condition today despite the very difficult weather conditions, although I am used to training in these conditions back in Ukraine."

"I will train for two weeks before competing in Tourcoing in Northern France on 1 February. My last cross-country race will be the Italian Club Cross Country Championships in Rome. Then I will run the 3000 metres in the indoor meeting in Stockholm on 12 February, and then the Ukrainian Indoor Champs ahead of the World Indoors in Budapest," confirmed Lebid.

Battocletti was delighted by his second place: “I knew that I was in very good form, so I am not surprised with my performance today. I want to run well for the rest of the season and confirm my recent good results."

"Now I will not compete for three weeks to prepare the Italian XC Club Championships. The 'Cover Verbania' have a very good team and thanks to Lebid we can beat the Carabinieri and the Fiamme Gialle (two very strong italian military clubs), for the national title,” said Battocletti. 
        
Selected results from the Vallagarina cross country race:
Men:

1 Sergiy Lebid (Ukraine) 29:24
2 Giuliano Battocletti (Italy) 29:43
3 Umberto Pusterla (Italy) 29:50
4 Maurizio Leone (Italy) 29:57
5 Wilson Businei (Uganda) 30:10

Women:
1 Aniko Kalovics (Hungary) 19:02
2 Dorcus Inzikuru (Uganda) 19:04
3 Meselesh Melkamu (Ethiopia) 19:58
4 Rita Jeptoo (Kenya) 20:00
5 Silvia Weissteiner (Italy) 20:03

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