For the third year in a row the entries for the Engadin Skimarathon exceeded the 13.000-mark. At 8:30 the field started today in Maloja on the lake Silvaplana, only the sun was late. Clouds and a bit of wind lead to a hard race for the elite skiers and the popular skiers in the beginning. But it got better and better until the sun came out and all the participants had great conditions to enjoy their Engadin Skimarathon.

The winner wasn't one of the expected favourites like Dario Cologna, Sjur Roethe (NOR) or Benoit Chauvet (FRA). A young Swiss guy managed to beat this strong elite-field and celebrates his victory. In the ladies race a French skier made history.

48TH ENGADIN SKIMARATHON AND ITS WINNERS

First, second and third place went to Switzerland! Roman Furger managed to be the fastest one out of the 20 skiers coming to the finish lane together. Right behind him, not even a second, Toni Livers who won the last stage of the FIS Worldloppet Cup. Joeri Kindschi, from Davos, took the third place only one hundredth of a second before Bastien Poirrier (FRA). Benoit Chauvet (FRA) crossed the finish line as 5th.

With a winning time of 1:48:08 and only 23,41 km/h average speed it was quite a slow race. From beginning on nobody wanted to attack or speed up, only Ivan Perrillat Boiteaux (FRA) and  Fabian Schaad (SUI) once in St. Moritz, but only for the "Helvetia-Sprint". Until the last kilometers a group of around 50 skiers with all the favourites in it worked together. But then Adrien Mougel (FRA) started to increase the pace and one by one fell behind. The last kilometer was the time of the Swiss skiers, and Furger, Livers, Kindschi, Cologna and Candide built a wall in the leading positions. Dario unfortunately broke his pole and fell back again to position 25, the others kept the leading positions.

She made it! Anouk Faivre Picon  (FRA) got her third victory at Engadin Skimarathon. With 14 seconds ahead of second place, Sereina Boner (SUI), she achieved what nobody has done before, to "tripeat" her vicotry. Klara Moravcova from Czech Republic came to the finish in third. It was not the day for the number one female in the FIS Worldloppet Cup overall ranking, Aurelie Dabudyk (FRA). She broke her pole at the start and had to fight herself back to the front positions, but was not strong enough to hold the speed of Picon, Boner and Moravcova. In the end she lost her final sprint for the 4th position closely against the Italian, Elisa Brocard. 

But Dabudyk remains on top of the FIS Worldloppet Cup overall ranking and unofficially she has already won the FIS Worldloppet Cup 2016, because she has 121 points more than the second, Elisa Brocard. Third place before the final stage in Russia goes to Czech Republic, to Klara Moravcova.

In the men's overall ranking almost everything changed after the 7th FIS Worldloppet Cup stage: Toni Livers, with his second place, hence 80 points today, takes the lead from Ivan Perrillat Boiteaux, who now is in the third position. Second and only 20 points behind Livers is the Frenchman Bastien Poirrier. So the final stage in Russia at the beginning of April, the Ugraloppet, is going to be very exciting!

Find the whole results of the Engadin Skimarathon here for the men and the ladies.

FIS Worldloppet Cup Overall Ranking (men and ladies)
Men: 
1. Toni Livers (SUI) 276 points
2. Bastien Poirrier (FRA) 256 points
3. Ivan Perrillat Boiteaux (FRA) 253 points

Women: 
1. Aurelie Dabudyk (FRA) 431 points
2. Elisa Brocard (ITA) 310 points
3. Klara Maravcova (CZE) 285 points


ATHLETE'S QUOTES

Faivre Picon Anouk (FRA), 1st place women:

"I had great skis, better skis than Seraina. But in fact, she had a better race than me. In the beginning she was very fast, only in the middle of the race I was able to catch her and than she had a crash on the last kilometers, so I could win. But yes, I am glad to have my third 'Steinbockgehörn' (the trophy) here and I have to win it another two times because I promised them to friends!"

Roman Furger (SUI), 1st place men:

"Nobody wanted to lead today. The wind made it very hard, everybody wanted to ski in the sliptream, so I did. But at some key-points you have to be in the front and I managed to do it and in the end I was the strongest. I am very happy about my victory."

Toni Livers (SUI), Leader FIS Worldloppet Cup:

"I have had great experiences at the FIS Worldloppet Cup stage in Russia. I am looking forward to it and I think I can make a very good race there and hope that also my team will be as strong in Russia as we have been today."

FINAL STAGE of FIS Worldloppet Cup:

• UgraSki marathon/RUS, 02.04.2016

More information: www.worldloppet.com

Source: fis-ski.com