Preparation done, high-performance workouts and important goals for DeFast which aims at the Tour de Ski and the Planica 2023 World Championships in the year of the new rules and new distances wanted by the FIS.
Ruka, Finland – Nov. 23rd 2022 • For several weeks, the almost thirty-year-old Alpine from Valle d'Aosta has been in the North, in Finland, where he has just recently completed his preparation before the first World Cup rounds.
Everything, so far, has gone according to plan, with a motivated, confident and in good shape DeFast, able in Muonio to finish in eighth place a FIS 10 Km (1st was Krueger).
«I've done a good load of work, let's say that in terms of training hours the numbers reflect those of last season, but honestly I feel even better than a year ago. Now I have to focus on the World Cup which is just around the corner – says Francesco – and like every year I will try to be ready to start in the best possible way».
The arrival of Marcus Kramer as coach of the Italian national team «is something very positive – adds the Alpine – given that after a year and a half of collaboration with him I understood that thanks to him we learned a lot and everything will be an extra benefit for the whole Team Italy».
But the main topic on the agenda concerns above all the sphere of innovations introduced by the FIS for this season: the distances will change, to standardize the women's and men's races, and the scores will also change, which at first sight would seem to favor above all the continuity more than the acute ones: «Undoubtedly – adds Francesco – the question of the scores will reward those who will be present in the upper quarters of the classification of each race, rewarding the constancy of results, the first 50 will get points. As for the distances, the only 15 km in the calendar will be the one in the Val di Fiemme in classic technique (which remains one of my seasonal goals), since from now on we will run the 10 km, and to be honest, I don't mind so much, since I feel quite suitable for that genre of effort. We will then also run 20 km, a novelty that in any case fascinates me».
The goal for the season will be the World Championships in Planica, Slovenia, and the Tour de Ski – even if – «I don't know yet in which formats I will participate in the world championships, we'll see – says De Fabiani – obviously I would also like to take part in the team competitions».
And the bib is ready for the opening, on Friday 25 November in Ruka with a sprint C and then a 10 km C on Saturday 26, while participation in Sunday's race is still uncertain, given the imminent commitments in Lillehammer, where a 10 Km F and a 20 Km C MST are scheduled (initially scheduled as a skiathlon) two formats much appreciated by the Alpine from Gressoney.
__________________________________
Press Office of Francesco De Fabiani
Written by Paolo Mei
Translated by Nicolò Caneparo
