Favorittene
Jan Vandendriessche har gjennom mange år vært en av de beste belgiske ultraløperene og har nå ansvar for nyhetsformidling på IAUs nettsider. Nedenfor kan du lese hans vurderinger av favorittsjiktet før helgens mesterskap i Winschoten, Nederland
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World Cup 100km: who are the favourites?

By jan.vandendriessche@skynet.be

When we have a look on the field of 366 runners that will start in the next WC 100km then we must say it will be a very exiting race! Let us overlook the list?

MEN

Netherlands :
Edward De Ruiter has the best PR but we may expect that Veron Lust is able to run a top 15 place in this event. In Taiwan he ran a controlled race and finished very strong. Although for top 15 he must break his PR of 7h20’ but that may not be the problem for someone who is worth to run sub 7 hours.

Italy :
Without any doubt one of the strongest team in this WC. Mario Ardemagni, European Champion in Faenza (may ’04), Mario Fattore the World Champion 2002 and 2003. Fattore proved to be fast on a flat course (Torhout/BEL 2002) but also on an extreme hilly course (Taiwan 2003). Trincheri won the 50km of San Remo and Malfatti the 100km of Ancona. Of course there is also always Stefano Sartori who finished 4th in the EC in Italy. The two Mario’s must be able to achieve a top 10 performance, and even a top 5. Sartori is able to run between place 10 and 15.

Great Brittain :
It’s a pity that my friend Simon Pride will not take part in this WC. In 1999 he ran nearly a WB on the 40 miles and a couple of months later he became World Champion 100km in Chavagnes-en- Palliers in France. The same year he took part in The Comrades but we had to wait just till the E.C. of this year in Firenze-Faenza to see him back on the ultra scene with a marvellous 3rd place. Greg Dell ran long ago his PB and I don’t think we may expect him in the front at the end. Maybe Brian Cole can surprise. Brian Cole : top 15. Although?Matthew Lyn ran a strong EC and can maybe be the surprise of the team.

Hungary :
Atilla Vozar, without any doubt the most talented runner in the team but except for 2001 not a Championship runner. In 2001 he ran during the EC nearly an even split and finished in his PR. Only in Verona 2003 (track race) he showed to be a strong competitor. Strong in the legs but unfortunately he is mentally not strong enough. Vozar : between place 15 and 20.

Belgium :
The fastest race in Winschoten is run by a Belgian runner, Jean-Paul Praet, who ran on the same time a World- and European Record. But Jean Paul is not running ultra competitions anymore and neither does Marc Vanderlinden (PB 6h28’),Jan Vandendriessche (PB 6h39’), or Rik Goethals (PB.6h50’)? all members of the team in the last 3years But here is hope for the coach Ivan Degrieck. Marc Papanikitas ran during the last Night of Flanders (Torhout/Belgium) his first sub 7h performance (6h53’) and this talented runner must be able to ran faster, and why not in a strong competition like the WC in Winschoten. Ivan Hostens had a stress fracture and ran already 7h15’ with only 2 months training (June ’04). He has the potential to run another sub 7h. Good old Lucien Taelman will probably be the third man in the team but it would be a surprise when it would be faster than 7h10’. Marc Papanikitas and Ivan Hostens: between 10 and 15.

France :
6 time sub 7 hours as PB’s. What a dream for a coach! Fetizon won already two times in Winschoten and is certainly one of the favourites for the World Champion Title. Blanchard and Boisselier showed in the past already to be consistent around places 8 till 13 and Didier Idziak can run faster but after his strong race in Winschoten 2002 he is still waiting for the confirmation! Fetizon : top 6, Blanchard and Boisselier between 8 and 13? Idziak my joker, maybe strong, maybe nothing !

Russia :
14 runners with a PB of sub 7hours for a team of 6 athletes !! No, we see no Masarygin, Rodiouchenko, Volgin etc? on the list but a lot of unknown youngsters? Murzin is maybe the one with the most famous palmares?and he is certainly one of the top favourites for the World title. But there is also Farid Ganiev, EC in 2000, then a long time on the background but last year in Moscow during the EC suddenly nr.1?? but in the Open Race? so not European Champion?. That Title went to? Murzin, nr.2 in the race! But also Tyazhkorob, Netreba, Akhmetsin and of course Kharitonov (3rd in Comrades ’04!) are able to run in the top 10 and maybe top-5! Murzin : top 3, Kharitonov, Tyazhkorob top 6, Akhmetsin top 10.

Japan :
Every year we see new ultrarunners in Japan, new runners who ran very fast. Unfortunately we mostly see that those runners can’t perform strong during major competitions. Stress, fear?? Who can tell ? However ,if you look at the PB’s of Nojyoand and Kobayashi the we must certainly recognize the strength of those Eastern countries. So? Japan can score between 3 and 10!

Norway:
Skarpsno may have run 7h03’, with all respect but I don’t think he will run top 15

Brasil :
Nunes ran his PB in Winschoten, I guess it was in 1995?but from the on we never could notive any extremely good performance on a 100km.In 2001 he was 2nd in The Night of Flanders in a time of?. But the last years he focused more on the longer distances like The Spartathlon or WC 24h so I don’t believe that he is really still so strong like before. His Performance during the 50km on the Pico Veletta (Spain, 1 august) showed that he is not the best Nunes we saw before, but who knows?. Also Dama Pereira ran his PB already a long time ago, so I believe that Marcia Batista De Oliviera, once more, will be the best Brasilian runner? somewhere between place 8 and 15?

Belarus:
A best PB of 6h57’ and a worse of 7h11’. A Team withoutfavourites but a team that might score rather high in the team competition!


Poland:
In the past Magier and Janici were without any doubt the ‘leaders’ of the Polish ultrarunners. Magier could still win two times the race in Winschoten but each time when there was no international Championship. Jaroslaw Janicki performed very strong during this years Comrades competition (2nd) and can be considered as one of the favourites for the top 5. However, in the Polish team we see also Petrowksi, strong in the EC 2000 in Belves and Chawawko who ran a new World Record on 6 hours in Stein (March ’04). Poland might be not so strong the last two or three years, this year they can maybe be the surprise.

Germany
Only one male runner from Germany, Doctor Thomas Miksch. With a PB of 7h and 5 seconds (!!!) he may be not ready for a top performance. But I believe that we didn’t see the best of what these athlete can show us, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he would break his PB with more than 10’ to achieve a top 10 place.

Ukraine
In Taiwan (WC 100km, 2003) we saw a strong Holovnitsky from Ukraine just till the last lap, then he collapsed suddenly. In The International 100km race The Night of Flanders however he showed to be a very strong competitor. He won that race in a new PB and I believe that he can be one of the runners to reach the top-5

WOMEN

Italy
Monica Casiraghi and Sana paola are the top runners for the Italian team. Nobody doubts that Monica will run a top 3 place, nobody would be surprise that she would win (again) this major competition.

Belgium
Inez Jacquemaert, ran 9th two years ago. The same place would be already extremely well.


USA
The team from the USA seems to be the most important contenders for Monica Casiraghi. Three runners with a sub 8-hours PB. Gardner, Heaslett and Kimball must be able to run certainly top 10 and who knows maybe even top 5 !

Germany
A strong team, but not really one very strong woman who can achieve a top 5. Maybe that one of them may surprise but I think that a strong team performance is more likely than a top 5 individual.

France
Magali Reymonencq is certainly ‘the first lady’ in the French Team, she can be one of the top 5 runners.

Russia
The strongest team by the women is without any doubt, just as by the men, Russia.
5 of the 6 runners have a sub 8-hours PB !! Favourites for the World title: Zyrkhova, Bichkova, Karaseva and Ladyzhina. Normally, Russia must win the individual title and also theteamcompetition.

Japan
The World record 100km for women is run by a Japanese who ran only one time a 100km ! (Tomoe Abe, 6h33’?. Yes? six hours !!!) The Japanese runners may be one of the outsiders of the race. Last year Norimi Sakurai ran also a World record 100km Track during the 100km in Verona (September ’03). Don’t forget that Som