News24 Jan 2005


Saidi-Sief takes top honour in Montefortiana road race

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Ali Saidi-Sief wins the Montefortiana road race (© Alberto Zorzi)

Algeria's Ali SaidiSief, Sydney’s Olympic silver medalist at 5000m, won the 24th edition of Montefortiana Turà, classical road race held yesterday in Monteforte d'Alpone, near Verona.

Saidi-Sief, who rarely runs road races (this was his first appearance on Italian soil, although he has been represented by Italy's Enrico Dionisi for 9 years), out-sprinted Eritrea's Ali Abdalla Afringi in a very close finish.
 
Kenya's Justus Kipchirchir Kiprono, who won the 2000m Steeplechase silver medal at the IAAF Youth World Championships in Sherbrooke and is not 18 yet, took the last place on the podium.

A close sprint after a tough race

It was a very tough race, as the 1,5km course (to be repeated 7 times) starts with a 300-metre uphill and then has a very steep downhill stretch of about 400m. The final straight was once again slightly uphill, making the sprint selective. The cold climate (only 2 degrees centigrade) made the race even more difficult.

Gabriele De Nard, who used to be a mountain runner and is now one of the best Italians in cross country, took the lead immediately. He set a good pace from the first lap and at the end of the second lap the leading pack was already down to a dozen runners.

During the 3rd lap, even without any dramatic increase of pace, only 5 men were left at the front with Morocco's Abdelkebir Lamachi and Italy's Ottavio Andriani some metres behind.

Lamachi was then able to rejoin the leaders in the flat part of the course. The first six arrived together at the final straight, where Saidi-Sief confirmed himself as the pre-race favourite. He closed with a time of 30:18, the same as Afringi. Kiprono was 5 seconds behind with De Nard being the first Italian in 4th with 30:27.

Short race at World Cross but 5000m remains the focus for 2005

"I am really satisfied with my win, as I training hard both in Paris and in Algeria, my country," Saidi-Sief declared at the end of the race.

"Besides I am not used to road races, so this was just a test to check if my training is going well."

Saidi-Sief was banned for 2 years after the Edmonton World Championships and returned to competition in Bruxelles at the end of 2003 with a stunning 7:30.79. However, last year he was not able to confirm his potential.

"I think my mistake was to over-train. I had not an awful season, as I ran some 3:32 at 1500m and a 13:07 at 5000m," he recalled. "But I want much more."

At the Olympic Games in Athens, he couldn’t do better than 10th in the 5000m final.

"This year I am training more wisely and my goal is to win a medal at 5000m at the World Championships in Helsinki. This winter I will also race in the short course in the Cross Country World Championships."

Half marathon in the morning

In the morning a half marathon was held as well. Italy's Giovanna Volpato won with a time of 1:20:30, setting the new record of the very though course, ahead of last year's winner, Wan-Ling Wu from Chinese Taipei. A course record was set also in the men race's by Chien Wu Wen (1:07:26).

Alberto Zorzi for the IAAF

Results
Men race (10,5km)

1. Ali Saidi-Sief  ALG  30:18
2. Ali Abdalla Afringi  ERI  30:18
3. Justus Kipchirchir Kiprono  KEN  30:23
4. Gabriele De Nard  ITA  30:27
5. Abdelkebir Lamachi  MAR  30:28
6. Denis Curzi  ITA  30:29
7. Ottavio Andriani  ITA  31:10

Half Marathon
Men

1. Chien Wu Wen TPE 1:07:26 (course record)
2. Kenei Kiprotich KEN 1:09:19

Women
1. Giovanna Volpato ITA 1:20:30 (course record)
2. Wan-Ling Wu TPE 1:20:56

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