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VAL D’ARAN BY UTMB VDA 162K/10.700D+: VICTORIES FOR IONEL MANOLE & ANNA CARLSSON
VAL D’ARAN BY UTMB VDA 162K/10.700D+: VICTORIES FOR IONEL MANOLE & ANNA CARLSSON. Our TRAIL RUNNING CALENDAR section, brings us today the results of the second of four mountain races that are being cellebrated this weekend at Val d’Aran in the Spanish Pyrenees.
The race left Vielha on Friday, July 9 at 18:00h to complete the 162 km with 10,700M+ and the climb of the Coth de Podo at km 135 and its 2601 m. The “big” race of this Val d’Aran by UTM was completed during this weekend by its sistes PDA 55Km and CDH 105 km as we showed you here.
Photo: Borja Iban ©VDAbyUTMB
VAL D’ARAN BY UTMB: VDA 162K | 1700M+
TORN DERA VAL D’ARAN – VDA 162 KM 10.700M+
Torn dera Val d’Aran means Return to the Val d’Aran in Aranese and is the emblem of Val d’Aran by UTMB®. 162 km with a positive slope of 10,700 m that cover the different elements that make up the road: air, fire, earth and water. The start of this test is on Friday, July 9 at 18:00h in Vielha, and has the participation of renowned riders such as Jordi Gamito, podium in UTMB: “The VDA is 162 kilometers and it is a very tough and very technical race, as well as demanding. We will have 24 hours of travel ahead, so we will have to go step by step. I will go out to make my own career and fight only with myself. If my strength does not fail me, I will be able to fight for the podium. I have a lot of respect for a career in this type of terrain and I’m training to make it a success. I’m going to Val d’Aran by UTMB® looking forward to it,” says Gamito. In the women’s category, Japan’s Kaori Niwa and Sweden’s Anna Carlsson will be two of the big favorites for the final victory.
PLA DE BERET, KM100.
From the hill of Montoliu, we go down to the Sanctuary of Montgarri, before touching Pla de Beret, kilometer 100 of the race. There is the second aid station. Two villages wait after; Bagergue, declared one of the most beautiful villages in Spain, and Salardú, capital of Naut Aran.
From Salardú we round the “Parc Nacional d’Aigüestortes i Estany de Sant Maurici”. I pass through Porèra and lBaños de Tredòs to face the park. The lake circus of Colomèrs, offers us the passage through more than 20 lakes, to the hill of Pòdo, (2,600m) By the Pas de Ribereta, we change the valley, with an easy and fast descent to Ressèc, in the valley of Valarties.
From there to the finish line, two last demanding climbs of 700 meters and 300 meters will await you to crown the Tuca, already with the finish in Vielha at your feet. A few last kilometers of trail through the forest will lead you to the end of the route. One hundred and sixty-two kilometers where you will have crossed the entire valley and all its landscapes.
HIGHLIGHT: Finishers get direct access – without a draw – to the UTMB®, CCC®, TDS® or OCC 2022 (or 2023 if there are not enough places available in 2022) as long as they have a sufficient number of ITRA points.
VAL D’ARAN BY UTMB. VDA 162K. CHRONICLE
The departure at 18.00h has had a great atmosphere in Vielha. Riders of the two tests that leave tomorrow, along with family and friends have wrapped the entire peloton of the queen test.
The temperature when leaving in Vielha was still hot, with about 21ºC. The weather is expected to be stable in the race, with minimum nighttime in the valley of 11ºC and maximums of 29ºC tomorrow. On the ridges, we will have up to 10ºC less, so they will have to wrap well in the high night areas.
Jordi Gamito starts as a clear favorite, as it happens with the 105k that are still in the race since this morning with Aritz Egea. The Basque is honoring the forecast because running leader highlighted towards goal, we will see if Jordi also complies under the pressure of being the logical bet of champion.
IONEL MANOLE, FIRST RACE LEADER.
However, the Romanian Ionel Manole, who already knows what it is like to win tests as Ultra Sierra Nevada in our country. he opted to take his head from the get-go, taking Morgan Pilley with him. At the passage of the first avitu in Pomarola, the difference was just 1 minute over the second, Jesus Gil. But they already had 5min on Gamito.
In the next control, the differences already grew to a gap of 10min of advantage for the two leaders with Jesus third and a third with Puyuelo, Gamito and Bonnecarrera.
In parallel, Anna Carlsson leads the women’s race with a 10min advantage already. She is chased by veteran Leticia Bullido with Stephanie Casse third at 12min.
The night hardly altered the situation in the lead, with Ionel passing Sant Joan alone in the lead, after 9h02 of the race. Second followed Morgan to 14min, teas them Bonnecarrera and Gamito together to 25min of the leader. Among the girls, anne and leticia followed in front, now with Kaori Niwa third.
PLA DE BERET AND DESCENT TO SALARDU.
The race leaders arrives at the pla of Beret shortly after 8 in the morning, first night and only for the head of the race, surpassed. After crossing the Pla de Beret contemplating the ski lifts of the Vaqueira station, a strong descent to the town of Salardu begins, to start from here the ascent to the highest point of the race, above 2,600 m. 20 km with 1,400 m+ approx. where the race can take a turn. Yesterday Aritz Egea told us that in this area he had suffered a lot, we will see how the brave of the VDA face it today with more than 100 km on their legs.
At the moment when passing through Salardu the Romanian Manole remains in the lead, with 30 minutes of advantage over Morgan Pilley, and 50 minutes over Jordi Gamito, who seems to have picked up Bonnecarrere, who follows the Catalan to 5 minutes. In some moments of the night the difference of Jordi with the head of the race after the hour. A lot of distance still ahead, very technical terrain, and an important heat that will make a dent in more than one runner. Everything still to be decided, since although the difference between the 3 runners is large, the management of the effort and the race strategy of each one can mark the end, we will continue to tell it and we will be live at the finish line to receive the winner.
COTH DE PODO, HIGHEST POINT AT 2,601 M AND KM 135.
When it seemed that everything was said Jordi Gamito gives it reaches Morgan. Now the Spaniard is trying to pick him up to go like a fighter for the Romanian Manole who continues to lead the race with 27 minutes on his two pursuers. More than 1,600 vertical meters separate them from the finish line, about 27 km from the finish line, still anything can happen, very interesting end for this first VDA by UTMB.
FINISH LINE
Manole takes the win with an under 24, 23h:56:26 to be exact. It confirms the good form and good work of the Romanian rider, based in Spain, firefighter by profession, told the finish line that he was very excited about the victory but that putting out a fire was more important, reminding the colleagues of the fire station who are the ones who got him into this.
40 minutes later the Australian runner, Morgan Pilley, first race in Spain, took a silver that tastes like gold, and he highlights the heat, affection and good treatment of the people of The Valley D ́Aran who has turned with the test.
Completing the podium, Jordi Gamito, who stopped the clock in 25h 32 min, a priori, main favorite, but his brandmates, Kinetik, did not make it easy. The arrival of the Catalan at the finish line was highly anticipated given that he is one of the most loved runners by the public for his joy and closeness to people.
On the women’s category Ana Carlsson leaded until the finish in Vielha followed in the podium by Kaori Niwa from Japan and Stephanie Case.
MEN RESULTS
- Ionel Manole (Romania) 23:56:26
- Morgan Pilley (Australia) 24:39:05
- Jordi Gamito (Spain) 25:32:36
WOMEN RESULTS
- Anna Carlsson (Sweden) 29:25:19
- KaoriNiwa (Japan) 32:22:17
- Stephanie Case (Canada) 33:56:0
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