Kenya’s Michael Saoli managed to fend off a determined late surge by Italy’s Daniel Pattis to clinch the men’s title at the XXX Giir di Mont. Meanwhile, Romania’s Ioana Madalina Amairei delivered a commanding performance to secure the women’s title in the prestigious Gold level race of the Valsir Mountain Running World Cup held in Premana on Sunday (28).
With temperatures escalating from 22°C at the 7:45 am start in the Piazza della Chiesa to over 28°C by the finish, the competitors were tested by both the challenging course and the intense heat.
The race began with an initial climb after crossing the Varrone stream, reaching Alpe Chiarino at 1558 meters after 5 kilometers. After a brief section to Alpe Vegessa and the first checkpoint, runners faced a 4-kilometer ascent along an old military road, culminating in the steepest climb to Bocchetta di Larecc at 2063 meters. Following this, participants navigated a tough descent to Alpe Fraina, with the course then continuing on gentler slopes to Alpe Caprecolo and Alpe Rasga, where the final and longest climb awaited.
In the men’s race, Saoli took an early lead and maintained it throughout. In the last kilometer, Pattis mounted a dramatic challenge and nearly caught up, but Saoli held firm to win by a narrow margin of seven seconds.
Spain’s Antonio Martínez impressed with his descent skills, moving from fifth to third in the race’s final stages. He managed to gain approximately five minutes on the leaders by the time he reached Premana.
In the women’s race, Amairei asserted her dominance from the start, securing her victory with strong performances on both ascents and descents. Despite a strong effort from Ikram Rhasarlla, who stayed close throughout the race, Amairei’s lead at Bocchetta di Larecc, the highest point of the race at 2063 meters, was enough to ensure her win.
Sarah Willhoit made a strong comeback to finish third, while Martina Cumerlato and Elisa Pressa rounded out the top five.
