Great battles expected at the Sellaronda: Boffelli–Oberbacher, Magnini–Nicolini, Equy–Damevin and Anthamatten–Palzer

Strong numbers and top quality will characterize the Sellaronda Skimarathon scheduled for Friday, March 20, which for the 32nd time will animate the slopes of this famous ski carousel, one of the longest in the world. Just a few days before the start, the race office has received 1,076 registrations, representing 538 teams, who will compete in the men’s, women’s and mixed categories. Besides the impressive numbers, the starting list is particularly interesting, as it will once again feature the exciting duel between Davide Magnini and Federico Nicolini from Trentino and the duo composed of William Boffelli from Bergamo and Alex Oberbacher from Val Gardena. Twelve months ago, the two teams produced an extraordinary head-to-head battle, with continuous changes at the front and a final comeback that ultimately saw the two athletes from Trentino take the win. Another thrilling challenge is therefore expected, always in the spirit of friendship and mutual respect. Just a few days ago, Boffelli and Magnini raced together at the prestigious Pierra Menta, finishing third overall. On Friday, however, they will be rivals. But attention must also be paid to potential outsiders. At the last moment the Swiss-German team of Martin Anthamatten and Anton Palzer confirmed their participation, as well as the French duo Samuel Equy and Anselme Damevin, who recently finished second at the Pierra Menta. The starting list, especially in the women’s field, is not yet final and will take shape in the coming days, also depending on the athletes’ form after the major races of the past weeks and the World Cup double event in Val Martello. Meanwhile, the organizers from Val di Fassa Grandi Eventi are experiencing hectic days as they prepare the 2026 edition, which according to the traditional rotation will feature start and finish in Corvara, in Alta Badia. After the start at 6:00 pm in the Burje area, near the ski lift, the competitors will immediately climb towards Campolongo Pass, then continue through Arabba, up to Pordoi Pass, descend towards Canazei, and climb again to Sella Pass before reaching the valley floor in Selva di Val Gardena. The route then continues via Dantercepies and Gardena Pass before the final descent towards the finish line in Corvara. In total, the race covers 42 kilometres with 2,700 metres of positive elevation gain. The first team is expected at the finish around 8:55 pm, followed by the flower ceremony, while the first women’s team should arrive around 9:30 pm. The course record belongs to Filippo Barazzuol and William Boffelli, who in 2019 stopped the clock at 2h56’59”. The women’s record, set in the same edition, belongs to France’s Laetitia Roux and Martina Valmassoi, who finished in 3h32’37”. As in previous years, the race will also be live streamed on the website www.sellaronda.it starting at 6:00 pm, while in the following days a 30-minute special program will be broadcast on Rai Sport HD.