No surprise in the women's race, the first final of the sunny but cool afternoon in Val di Sole, where the world champion of the last two years, the German Nina Reichenbach, played her cards well in the five areas of the path, closing first (with 5 penalties) leaving behind the couple of fierce Spanish Irene Caminos (5, having only one zero penalty against the two of the winner) and Alba Hidalgo (6), followed by the other finalists: the French Manon Basseville, the Czech Alzbeta Pecinkova and the Slovak Erika Hlavata.
France dominated the 26" race, with five finalists out of six. The surprises started in the semifinals with the world champion 2016 and 2017, the British Jack Carthy, who failed gaining access to the final: sixth on equal points with the French Gilles Coustellier (admitted to the finals by virtue of a shorter time). Other excellent excluded were the French Nathan Charra and the Japanese Tomu Shiozaki, respectively gold and silver at the Junior World Championships 2017. Also excluded was Giulio Porcario, the only Italian in the race.
The first five positions are all French, with Nicolas Vallée - Junior world champion in 2016 in Val di Sole - first (with 13 penalties) strictly ahead of Vincent Hermance (16) and Gilles Coustellier (18). These were followed by Clement Meot, Noah Cardona and by the Spaniard Jordi Araque.
If in the 26" the great protagonist in Vermiglio was France, in the smaller 20" wheels it was Spain instead, with four finalists out of six.
The semi-finals have seen almost all the favorites of the eve be successful, apart from the German Dominik Oswald, silver medal at the 2017 World Cup, as well as Marco Bonalda.
It has been a hard fought final, with no athletes completing an area without mistakes. The Spanish have missed the absolute domination, also because of the difficulties of the expert Benito Ros in the fifth and last zone, the most demanding one. Victory went to the young Alejandro Montalvo, Junior World Champion last year (10 penalties), which preceded the Austrian Thomas Pechhacker (14) and the other Spanish Ion Areitio (17). They were followed by Ros (18), the French Alex Rudeau (25) and Aloi Palau, who retired after the third zone.
The finals, attended by a large audience that also enjoyed the images transmitted on the maxi screen, were held on the five areas built on the Vermigliana that crosses the plain of San Leonardo, in Vermiglio. The particular natural setting of the Trial Park has once again picked up the great appreciation of athletes, technicians and spectators.
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