The Alpine from Gressoney finds his smile again with two excellent World Cup races in the Czech Republic, entering the top ten in the classic chase.

Nové Město, Czech Republic – Jan. 19th 2020 • Nové Město gives Defast the first two good results of the year. After the difficult start of the season, conditioned by physical problems and culminating in the abandonment of the Tour de Ski, Francesco De Fabiani regains his form, motivations and smile with an excellent weekend in the two distance races.

Saturday January 18th it took place a 15 Km F, with a time trial start, where De Fabiani grew on the distance. «I had in mind not to overdo it – Defast says – however in hindsight I might have been able to start stronger, but the form was good and during the race I was lucky enough to share the effort with Kalle Halvarsson». The skier from Gressoney finished in sixteenth position the round won by Alexander Bolshunov (RUS).

In the 15 Km of Sunday 19 January, the format chosen by the FIS is the classic Gundersen calculated on the ranking of the previous day. Author of a good start, Defast immediately manages to gain positions and to brilliantly finish the race dominated once again by the winner of the Tour de Ski, with an excellent tenth place.

«It has been a positive weekend – says the Alpine – and I can say that I really got the smile on. I had excellent sensations during both days, especially on Sunday I felt very good physically. I want to thank the skimen for the excellent work done in these two days; these two races have confirmed to me that when the condition is good the 15 Km, both classic and skating, is my favorite format, or at least the one in which I express myself best».

The two Czech days seem to have blown away the clouds from a season so far stingy with satisfaction: «Finally I can say that I had a “nice” effort, certainly not like during the Tour when every climb seemed endless to me. At the end, I can say that withdrawing from Tour de Ski to do a real reset of my condition was the right choice».

 

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

        

 

         

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