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GOLDEN TRAIL SERIES: FLAGSTAFF SKY PEAKS SEP25 Race preview.
GOLDEN TRAIL SERIES: FLAGSTAFF SKY PEAKS SEP25 Race preview. Zegama female race podium to rematch, this tie shifting from a 42k/D+2750m down to just the new redesigned course at Flagstaff Sky Peaks 26k/D+1266.
Following the Pike´s Peak Ascent at Colorado, the Golden Trail World Series’ second American stage moves on to Arizona for the Flagstaff Sky Peaks. It will be the last time runners can try and get into the overall top 30 to be invited to the Grand Final of the Salomon promotional series on Madeira in the Elite category.
GOLDEN TRAIL SERIES 2022
FLAGSTAFF SKY PEAKS SEP25
Race preview.
One week is all that separates the Pikes Peak Ascent and Flagstaff Sky Peaks, which is the Golden Trail World Series’ last stage of the season before the Grand Final. A very short recovery time that the athletes must take advantage of if they want to perform well at Flagstaff.
This American little known race has been redesigned especially for the occasion and some runners preferred to skip the Pikes Peak Ascent to focus on this ultimate stage. Therefore, there are no course records to be beaten.
See below the course map and profile.
This 6th stage is the last chance to win points and be ranked before the Grand Final. Who will have fully recovered from Pikes Peak? Who still has tricks up their sleeves to use on the American trails? See you at 7:30 am (MDT, local time) on 25th September in Flagstaff!
GOLDEN TRAIL SERIES: FLAGSTAFF SKY PEAK
WOMEN
At Flagstaff, Nienke Brinkman (Team Nike Trail, The Netherlands) should confirm that she is undeniably the strongest at all the Golden Trail Series races following her victories at Zegama and the Pikes Peak Ascent. But for that she must once again beat her rival Maude Mathys (Team Salomon, Switzerland) who nearly took her by surprise in the final kilometres on the Pikes Peak Ascent last week.
Both women must also be wary of this year’s revelation: Sophia Laukli (Team Salomon, USA). Even if she didn’t manage to keep the pace with the two women on Pikes Peak, she is still formidable and will have the American public cheering her on.
As for Sara Alonso (Team Salomon, Spain) will be back on a course profile that suits her skills and she hopes to shake up the little party up front. Watch out for Dani Moreno (Team Hoka One One/Rabbit, USA), who could have an advantage by choosing to skip Pikes Peak, and produced a fantastic podium at the Marathon du Mont-Blanc this year.
All these women should be wary of athletes such as Blandine L’Hirondel (Team Evadict, France), Caitlin Fielder (Team Salomon, New Zealand), Élise Poncet (Team Sidas X Matryx, France), Bailey Kowalczyk (Team Salomon, USA), and Marcela Varsinova (Team Salomon, Czech Republic).
Nienke Brinkman, Maude Mathys, Sara Alonso at Zegama 22. Photo Mayayo
MEN
Like the women, only two men from the top 10 didn’t participate in the Pikes Peak Ascent, one of which was Manuel Merillas (Team Scarpa, Spain). After excelling at Zegama (3rd) and Stranda in Norway (2nd), the Spaniard will be eager to grab his first victory on the Golden Trail World Series just before the Grand Final.
But he’s got his work cut out for him with Bart Przedwojewski (Team Salomon, Poland), 3rd at Stranda and who needs to win big points before the Grand Final. After tasting victory on the GTWS this year at Pikes Peak, Rémi Bonnet (Team Salomon/Red Bull, Switzerland) would like to stay on top at this 6th stage.
This year’s male revelation is Daniel Osanz (Team Adidas Terrex, Spain) who will once again try to shine on this final stage, following a superb 8th place at Sierre-Zinal and a magnificent second place at the Pikes Peak Ascent, .
Eyes will also be following guys such as Francesco Puppi (Team Nike Trail, Italy), 4th at Pikes Peak, Jacob Hojnacki (USA), a local runner with consistent impressive results, Eli Hemming (USA), 3rd at Pikes Peak, Anthony Felber (Team Sidas X Matryx, France), Sylvain Cachard (Team Hoka One One, France) and Roberto Delorenzi (Team Vibram, Switzerland).
Manuel Merillas, bronze at Zegama 22. Photo Mayayo
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