Edited by:
Massimo Martini
Date: 18/11/2008
With the opening of the first 10-kilometre cross-country ring over the weekend and the recovery of the first stage of the Italian Cup, the Livigno ski resort enters the 'Sgambeda' climate, the cross-country skiing long-distance race that will open the dances of the long-distance competition season on 14 December.
With the opening of the first 10-kilometre cross-country ring at the weekend and the recovery of the first stage of the Italian Cup, the Livigno ski resort enters the 'Sgambeda' climate, the cross-country skiing long-distance race that will open the dances of the long-distance competition season on 14 December.
The Spoel valley is covered by a white mantle and all the workers are in the front line to prepare the first slope of the season.
Over the weekend, a 10-kilometre loop was prepared, enough to attract Nordic skiing fans and numerous professionals to this corner of Alta Valtellina. In fact, the junior cross-country team has been in Livigno since last Friday and will stay until Sunday 23 November both for the traditional mid-November training camp and for a series of tests on the snow. With them also the Under 23 and the blue senior and junior biathlon teams, young cross-country skiers from Austria and Slovenia.
This weekend it's the turn of the Italian Cup.
Seeing the athletes skiing down the slopes of Livigno makes one think of the big event at the beginning of the season, the Sgambeda on 14 December. But before the well-known granfondo, Livigno will organise the first race of the 2008/09 Coppa Italia calendar, which will take place next weekend starting on Friday 21 November with the sprint races in classic technique. The following day two time trials (5 km and 10 km in classic technique for women and men respectively) and Sunday 23 November grand finale with the sprint trials in free technique. Awards ceremony at the Livigno Dairy.
...AND THEN WENDERSHIP!.
Closed the overture of Coppa Italia, it will start again with the organisation of the Sgambeda, which, as usual, will inaugurate the season of the long-distance competitions. The programme of the event is the same as always, because you can't change a winning team. It starts on Friday 12 December at 14.00 with the opening of the secretariat for collecting the race packet until 20.00 and the possibility of visiting the Expo set up at Plaza Placheda.
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BJORN DAEHLIE WITH THE CHILDREN OF MINISGAMBEDA
The next day the distribution of the race packs continues but the highlight will be at 13.30 with the first start of the MiniSgambeda, the race reserved to cross-country skiers from 8 to 17 years old who will compete on tracks from one to 5 kilometres according to age. All the little champions of the MiniSgambeda will receive a personalised race pack from BJ, the clothing company founded by the Norwegian Bjorn Daehlie, the greatest cross-country skier of all times who, despite his retirement from the World Cup competitions, has rediscovered the pleasure of "competing" as an amateur in the granfondo races. Daehlie will be present in Livigno the day of Saturday as exceptional starter of the MiniSgambeda and he will be the one to award at 16.00 the young cross-country skiers, then to follow the presentation of the XIX edition of the Sgambeda with the delivery of the pectorals to the expected bigs.
EVERYONE ON THE TRACK: FOR HOW MANY KM THE COMPETITORS DECIDE.
Sunday 14 December the big day with the start of the race at 11.00 am, when the sun is high in the sky and warms the valley of Livigno. There are two tracks: the "original" one of 42 kilometres valid as first round of the 2009 FIS Marathon Cup, the world cup of long distances with a prize money of 21.000 Euro divided between the first 6 classified in the male and female category, and an alternative one of 22 and a half kilometres, for all those cross-country skiers who want to test their condition at the beginning of the season. Both trials are free technique, but a track at the side of the slope is guaranteed for those who love alternating pace. Registration is already open (also on the official race website, www.lasgambeda.it) with the fee of 55 Euro (...until 9 December) and for all those who register by 29 November, the organisers will prepare a personalised bib number with the competitor's name.
WEEKEND PACKAGE
Last but certainly not least, the possibility to stay in Livigno at special conditions. The "Sgambeda weekend" packages set up by the APT Livigno provide solutions with one, two or three nights (race entry included) starting from 150 Euro per person for 3 nights. Details on http://www.lasgambeda.it/ita/sga_week.php
For those who will be in Livigno on the occasion of the Sgambeda, the advice is not to miss the Christmas Markets, which will colour the small square of the village with the exhibition of many handicrafts and enogastronomic products.