EVENT 5: LA DIAGONELA
The 5th stage of the Visma Ski Classics Pro Tour takes place tomorrow when La Diagonela kicks off in the morning. The slightly revised 62 km mass start race starts at 9:15 am CET with the women’s race followed by the men’s start at 9:30 am CET. The length, high altitude and tough climbs at the end of the course make the race a challenge for all participants.
The course has no climb points, but there are two sprint competition points; the first one at 16 km in Samedan and the second one at 41 km at the Engadin airfield.
Additionally, there will be a special sprint point in St. Moritz arranged by the organizers of the race awarding CHF 5,000 to be equally distributed between male and female winners.
In order to increase interest in cross-country skiing La Diagonela also invites all young people of the Generation Z to participate free of charge at any of their four skiing events.
Last weekend’s winners Lina Korsgren, Team Ramudden, and Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, have both fallen ill and thus unable to race tomorrow. Team Ragde Eiendom athletes Petter Eliassen and Anders Aukland are returning to the field and are both strong favorites as are their teammates Andreas Nygaard, 2nd at Kaiser Maximilian Lauf, Tord Asle Gjerdalen and Oskar Kardin. These three skiers were on the podium last year.
In the women’s race, Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Astrid Øyre Slind, Team Koteng, are the biggest contenders to win the race. Last year’s podium skiers Katerina Smutná, ED System Bauer Team, and Kari Vikhagen Gjeitnes, Team Koteng, are going to defend their positions tomorrow, and they are joined by Team Ramudden’s Ida Dahl, 4th at Kaiser Maximilian Lauf.
Tomorrow’s weather forecast predicts light snow, precipitation 4,4 mm, a temperature about -7 C, light wind about 1 m/s from north-northwest.
LOCATION: Zuoz, Switzerland
DATE: 18th January 2020
LIVESTREAM: play.vismaskiclassics.com
START TIME: Women: 09:15 CET, Men: 09:30 CET
DISTANCE: 62 km Classic Technique
VISMA SKI CLASSICS SPRINTS: 2 sprints (16 km & 41 km)
VISMA SKI CLASSICS CLIMBS: 0 climbs
WEBSITE: www.ladiagonela.ch
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