Doppietta Esercito alla 23ª edizione del Trofeo Mezzalama per gli alpini del Cs Esercito.

Matteo Eydallin, Robert Antonioli and Davide Magnini dominate the men’s race, while Giulia Murada, Giulia Compagnoni and Alba De Silvestro chalk up a historic win in the women’s competition.  The Mezzalama Jeunes competition is a great hit. Piedmont-born Eydallin and Nicolini from Trentino win the biennial La Grande Course circuit.

This morning at 6.30 am, the Mezzalama Trophy competition started off from Breuil-Cervinia: the window of fine weather forecast a few hours before the start reassured the 209 participating teams that the race would take place according to plan.  A layer of clouds at around 4000 meters meant that the Castor peak was hidden from time to time, but at the Naso del Lyskamm, the other four-thousander on the course, athletes  had more luck, and were able to enjoy a spectacular view of the Monte Rosa massif and the Regina Margherita Hut.

Three teams - the Army Sports Centre team, French athletes Samuel Equy, Matheo Jacquemoud and Xavier Gachet and the “dreamteam” made up of Jakob Hermann, Werner Marti e Martin Anthamatten - took the lead right from the start. On the climb up to the Teodulo Pass and the Breithorn, neither of the three teams were keen to take the initiative. At the Breithorn transit point, the Alpine army team were in third place, but the fight for overall victory had yet to begin.   The ascent to the Castor peak, and the next stage leading to the Quintino Sella Hut, saw no change in the race tactics of the leaders. Matteo Eydallin, Robert Antonioli and Davide Magnini only start to throw down the gauntlet when they reach the second half of the climb up to the  Naso del Lyskamm. A lead of just a few metres, but enough to give the Army Sports Centre team a psychological boost.   On the following climb, up to the Roccia della Scoperta-Rock of Discovery, the three Alpine army athletes, literally towed along by Matteo Eydallin, succeeded in increasing their lead yet again, and by the time they were on the descent leading towards the Gnifetti Hut and the Mantova Refuge, had built up a substantial gap over their adversaries. Finally free of the constraints of the rope, on the final descent of the race the trio were able to have fun, skiing confidently and carving fast, clean lines.  Matteo Eydallin, Robert Antonioli and Davide Magnini, arrive at Gressoney-La-Trinité to the applause of a large and enthusiatic crowd of spectators. The last 100 meters have to be covered on foot with skis strapped to the backpack, but the Alpine army athletes literally fly to the finish line, stopping the clock at  4:55’49’’. Samuel Equy, Matheo Jacquemoud and Xavier Gachet come second, 2’44’’ behind the winners. Jakob Hermann, Werner Marti and Martin Anthamatten complete the podium with a time of 5:03’24’’.
Michele Boscacci, Nadir Maguet and Maximilien Drion Du Chapois come fourth, while Team Austria, made up of Armin Hoefl, Daniel Ganahl and Paul Verbnjak, finish in fifth position.
It is well worth noting that this is the sixth time that the Courmayeur Army Sports Centre has won the Mezzalama Trophy in the modern era of the “Marathon of Glaciers”. The common denominator of these six victories is Matteo Eydallin.
In the women’s race Giulia Murada, Giulia Compagnoni and Alba De Silvestro led right from the start, followed by an international team made up of Marianna Jagercikova (SK), Elena Nicolini (ITA) and Iwona Januszyk (PL) and the Spanish/French team composed of Nahia Quincoces (ES), Igone Campos Odriozola (ES) and Valentine Favre (FR). The girls representing the Italian army conclude the race with a time of 6:20’00’’ while Jagercikova, Nicolini, Januszyk are second with 7:11’03’’. On the third step of the podium is the Spanish/French team with a time of 8:48’58’’. With this third place, Nicolini was decreed the winner of the La Grande Course circuit.
In the men’s classification, Matteo Eydallin was confirmed the winner of the prestigious circuit.
In the Mezzalama Jeunes race, held in the Gabiet area on the same day as the senior competition, the winners in the U16 category were Enya Summermatter (1:49’10’’) and Matteo Blangero (1:27’06).
In the U18 category, the race winners were Maniezzo Alice and world champion Erik Canovi. Maniezzo stops the clock at 1:38’52’’ while Canovi has a time of 1:36’29’’. In the U20 category, the winners are Clizia Vallet and Clément Génot, with a time of 1:30’59 and 1:30’25’’ respectively.