FRANCESCO DE FABIANI 4TH IN THE 15 KM OF QUÉBEC CITY
In his favorite race format DeFast is very close to the podium, grabbing an excellent placement within the Top-5.
Québec City, Canada – Mar. 23rd 2019 - A season finale that is becoming memorable for the Alpine of the Centro Sportivo Esercito di Courmayeur. Fourth on the finish line of the 15 km mass start classic technique on Canadian soil.
A very tactical race in its first half. Compact group with De Fabiani ahead along with a very brilliant Pellegrino. In mid-competition the Russian Bolshunov stretches the group, Iversen follows him, Pellegrino in the wake is 6th, De Fabiani 12th. At the 10th kilometer Bolshunov, this time together with the Norwegian Klæebo try to escape, but while many others give up, the skier from Gressoney keeps the pace of the first competitors, going up to third position. In the last kilometers the race clearly blasts off but De Fabiani is there! He controls along the descent and recover a few meters uphill. The final sprint starts at the last corner before the finish line. The Norwegian Johannes Høsflot Klæbo dominates the group, once again winning the round, behind him the Canadian Alex Harvey and third the Norwegian Didrik Tønseth who beats the Italian for a few centimeters right on the finish line.
When the competition is on the man Francesco De Fabiani knows he is particularly strong, and if there are any climbs in the end we know that he is even better. Although today the finish was rather flat, the mass start formula gave a fundamental boost to the athlete from Valle d'Aosta.
«A good race, I'm really happy – that's how Francesco talks soon after the race –. I went so close to the podium and above all a final ascent like Oberstdorf. Here the sprint was long, I felt good, nevertheless it was not enough to reach the podium».
«A bit disappointed for yesterday's result: after all a few seconds less would have helped me with the Mini-Tour GC. If I had reached even the semi-finals, I would have had twenty seconds less in the general ranking. Tomorrow I will face the last race, in Gundersen mode. I will start with two excellent skaters like Røthe and Krüger trying to aim for the time of day. Maybe getting a few more points I will be able to make a leap forward in the overall standings!».
De Fabiani therefore, who currently occupies the 8th position in the general classification, seems ready and pumped to face the last race of the World Cup season.
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Press Office of Francesco De Fabiani
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