Francesco De Fabiani ends the three days of Falun with a good sixth place in the 15 km classic and mass start. Fluctuating results, but good sensations and a goal now aimed at the world championship in Oberstdorf.

Falun, Sweden – Jan. 31st 2021 • It was an intense three-day event, the one of the international cross-country skiing on the snow of Falun, home of the world championships in 2015.

Two 15 km (the first in skating with interval start, the second in classic technique with mass start) and a Sprint classic were the Scandinavian menu of the weekend just ended.

Francesco De Fabiani, returning to the World Cup after the efforts of the Tour de Ski, lived three days that were not easy, which began with light and dark, so with a dull performance in the 15 km skating: 26th place and not exactly the right mood, with extra muscular fatigue resulting from the last effort of the Tour, not yet perfectly recovered by the Alpine from Gressoney.

On Saturday, however, the smile returned to De Fabiani, who in his favorite format, that is classic, came very close to the podium, finishing in 6th place with some regrets: «I could have done something more, and take advantage of the format to aim for a better result, but it's not as simple as it might seem».

On Sunday, in the final Sprint, the skier of the Centro Sportivo Esercito of Courmayeur did not find the pace already in qualifying, closing far from the leaders and therefore unable to access the semi and the final: «The result of the sprint obviously does not satisfy me, but I have to keep in mind the fact that there were practically all the best sprinters in the world at the start including Norwegians. Despite the result, the feelings weren't that bad. Generally speaking, today's qualifying was really difficult to get».

Francesco's balance «is however positive – adds the Alpine, referring to the sensations in the race –. Perhaps with hindsight in the 15th in the classic I could have exploited, given the few occasions, the opportunity to find a podium, perhaps doing better in the first half of the race. What is interesting is that it seems I am on the right path in view of the World Cup».

Now the spotlight is moving to Ulriceham, also in Swedish territory, where on the weekend of 6 and 7 February De Fabiani will be involved in a Sprint and a Team Sprint, both in skating, a race that will serve as a test in view of the world championships in Oberstdorf.

«The following week – adds Defast – we will have a meeting before going to Nove Mesto and then there will be the world championships, for which I have not yet definitively decided which races I will participate in».

 

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Press Office of Francesco De Fabiani
Written by Paolo Mei
Translated by Nicolò Caneparo