Matteo Fontana wins the ICON Livigno Xtreme triathlon

A simply iconic race. Variable weather conditions, gradients bordering on the impossible, three sections to prepare and complete within the demanding time gates, a finish line to be reached at an altitude of 3000 meters: this is ICON Livigno Xtremethe triathlon that takes athletes beyond all limits, an extreme race that becomes possible for the 100 daredevils who have decided to face it.

COURSES FROM THRILLS

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The routes are literally creepy. Swimming, 3.8 km in Livigno’s Gallo lake, includes a start in the dark and a dip in the water at a temperature of about 14 degrees. The cycling section, 195 km, includes 5000 meters of positive difference in height that are consumed along the passes Forcola (2315 m), Bernina (2323 m), Forno (2149 m), the legendary Stelvio (2757 m) and the final Foscagno (2291 m). At Trepalle (2100 m) you put your bike down and set off for the final 42 km of race that crosses Livigno to reach the finish line of Carosello 3000.

THE RACE

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The departure this year is not one of the coldest: the outside temperature is 3 ° C with a clear day in the forecast. It is Giulio Molinari, Livigno by adoption, who is the first to get out of the water, with a very wide margin over Christian Melucci and Matteo Fontana, like Molinari, who have already scored at Icon. Attacked the bike fraction, at the top of the Forcola pass, before the planned climbs, the leading positions have already partially changed. Molinari is still the race leader, but Fontana moves into second position by strongly reducing the margin on the tread and demonstrating an evident freshness on the pedals. In third position goes Steve Mazzucco, an athlete from French Switzerland who has already played a leading role in past editions. Fontana today seems superior on the pedals: taking his head, he begins a breakaway that seems decisive and arrives in T2 with more than an hour ahead of Matteo Andreini, direct pursuer, who in turn precedes Mazzucco by about 15 minutes (Molinari is forced to withdrawal due to a mechanical accident). His is a fraction of a race in full control, he passes in triumph from Plaza Placheda before tackling the last vertical kilometer that leads him to success. Behind Fontana, the hunt for medals was exciting: in the second half of the running stage, Matteo Andreini is overtaken and overtaken by the German Matthias Knossalla who moves into second position; along the final wall, Lorenzo Facelli overtakes Andreini and snatches third place. The women’s race sees Michela Menegon protagonist of the first fraction: 5 minutes trimmed, swimming, to the Belgian Natalie Franken, 10 those to Cristiana Pallucca. By bike, the Swiss Nina Zoller returns to the hot positions, able to jump to the command in just 20 km; Menegon manages to keep second place up to T2 with Franken at a distance of several minutes. In the race, the order remains unchanged until the attack of the final wall. In the final running stage the running order remains unchanged until the attack of the final climb: Nina Zoller, who conquers a resounding success, does not tremble, not even the Menegon, who defends the second place, but Giorgia Zanetta finds the opportunity to go up to third place bypassing the Franken.