In 9 days, Tour de Ski 2010 kicks off

Tour de Ski

Wed, Dec  23, 2009 - By OC Toblach

In exactly 9 days the Cross-Country World Cup after six years, returns to South Tyrol. Cortina-Toblach will organize Wednesday 6 and Thursday 7 January, two stages of the Tour de Ski 2010. Toblach will host the cross-country World Cup for the fifth time. World Cup Cross-Country took place here in 1986, 1993, 1998 and 2003. The Race 1993 especially is remarkable in history as Manuela Di Centa captured the first World cup victory.

Di Centa - Legend of the Cross-Country skiing in Toblach

Following year, and in the 1995-1996 season also Di Centa won the overall World Cup. In order to remember this excellent sporting achievements 45-year-old from Di Centa of Paluzza will be the guest of honor there. Di Centa is one of the most successful athletes in Italy. At the Olympic Games in Lillehammer, Norway 1994, she won five medals in five races: gold over 15 km classic and 30 km freestyle, silver in 30 km Pursuit, 5 km C race and bronze in the relay. Overall, she won seven medals at the Olympics and seven at the Nordic World Ski Championships. In 2003 she became the first Italian woman to climb Everest. Since 2000 she has been also a member of the National Olympic Committee of Italy and also a member of the IOC. Since 2006, she has been MP for Forza Italia in the Italian Chamber of Deputies.

What is Tour de Ski

The Tour de Ski will take place this year for the fourth time. It starts on New Year's Day in Oberhof and Germany. On January 4 the traditional sprint in Prague will be carried out. After the rest day on Tuesday the Tour de Ski circus will continue on Wednesday, January 6 with an A to B race from Cortina to Toblach place (17 km F Ladies) 35 km F Men. Men will start in the center of Cortina, Ladies at Lago di Landro. The race will finish on the new Nordic arena in Toblach. The following the schedule will follow with 5 km C Ladies and 10 km C Men. Finals of the Tour de Ski will be carried out traditionally in Val di Fiemme on Alpe Cermis on Sunday, January 10, 2010.