Abebe Dinkessa wins the 2005 Boclassic (© Lorenzo Sampaolo)
Ethiopian Abebe Dinkessa and Kenyan Isabella Ochichi took the honours at the 32nd edition of the Boclassic Silvesterlauf road race on a chilly afternoon in the northern Italian town of Bolzano (31 Dec 05).
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Dinkessa, held off six-time European Cross Country champion Sergiy Lebid who has become quite a favourite of the local fans after winning five of the last six editions of the traditional end-of the year Bolzano race (1999 and from 2001 to 2004). The young Ethiopian star confirmed his recent good form with a convincing win in 28:38 after launching his attack after four laps of a fascinating eight lap-race which circuits through the streets of Bolzano. However, it was Kenya’s John Korir, a former winner at the Boclassic (2000), who took the runners-up spot eleven seconds behind Dinkessa, with last year’s winner Lebid, third in 29:07.
The race was run at a conservative pace in the early stages. Italian cross country specialist Gabriele De Nard and Uganda's Wilson Businei set the early pace and after three laps led a nine man pack which included Dinkessa.
Abderrahim Goumri from Morocco launched his sprint to claim the 500 euro prize which went to the first runner to cross the halfway mark, and the overall race result was carved out when Dinkessa and Korir responding to Goumri' s sprint, pulled away in the fifth lap. Dinkessa built up a solid lead which initially Korir tried to keep up with but ultimately to no avail.
Lebid was surprised by Dinkessa’s kick and lost ground but with two laps to go the Ukrainian, who had had some breathing problems during the fourth lap, began closing the gap on the chasing group which was battling for the podium. He caught up with Goumri, and then with loud support from the Bolzano spectators was strong enough to hold off the Moroccan when he challenged again in the closing stages of the race.
Dinkessa continued to push the pace running the final two laps in 3:35 and 3:30, and crossed the finish-line as victor in the Walther Square in the centre of Bolzano.
“I did not prepare specifically for this race but I knew that I could win today. I am proud to be the first African winner after five years to win in Bolzano. Tomorrow I will fly back to Addis Ababa to prepare the World Cross Country trials to qualify for the World Championships in Fukuoka. My next cross country race will be probably in Seville in January,” said Dinkesa.
Lebid who had to content with third place behind Dinkesa commented: “It was a difficult race today. I could not respond to Dinkesa’s attack because I had some breathing problems. My preparation was made difficult because of snow in Ukraine. I am sorry I was only third this year. But I want to thank Bolzano.”
“I will run a couple of cross country races in Amorebita, Edinburgh and perhaps Vallagarina. If I am in good form I may run the 3000 metres at the World Indoor Championships in Moscow”, concluded Lebid.
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Isabella Ochichi arrived in Bolzano on Saturday (31 Dec) just in time to run the race after her flight was cancelled because of snow. However, this inconvenience did not seem to affect her brilliant performance. The Kenyan Olympic silver medallist managed to take a comfortable win over Hungary’s Aniko Kalovics and Great Britain’s Jo Pavey. Another Kenyan, Susan Chepkemei, twice runner-up at the New York Marathon in 2004 and 2005, could not keep up with the pace and finished fourth.
Ochichi broke away from Kalovics after two laps and increased her advantage by eight seconds at the end of the third lap. The Hungarian, who had taken the early race lead, battled against Jo Pavey for second place. The Briton, fifth at the 2004 Olympic Games in the 5000m, was making a successful comeback after illness ruined her World Championships campaign in Helsinki.
Ochichi kept a very fast pace but cold weather ruined her hopes of attacking the course record held by Germany's Kathrin Ulrich (15:34 in 1991). The Kenyan crossed the finish line in 15:53. Kalovics came in as runner-up in 16:04, holding off Pavey, third in 16:11. Chepkemei took fourth place in 16:13. The first italian home was local favourite Silvia Weissteiner, fifth in 16:16.
"It was very difficult to adapt to these difficult weather conditions. I was supposed to arrive in Venice on Friday evening but my flight was cancelled. I arrived on Saturday. Despite that it was a good race for me", said Ochichi.
"I had a headache because of the cold weather. But beating a 14:40 runner like Jo Pavey makes me happy,” confirmed runner-up, Kalovics.
Pavey was particularly happy with her performance. "I enjoyed this race. It was my first race after getting a virus this summer. I could not run for ten weeks. I have trained in South Africa for five weeks to prepare for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne which are very important although my focus is the summer season", said Pavey.
Diego Sampaolo for the IAAF
Men (10km):
1 Abebe Dinkessa (Ethiopia) 28:38
2 John Korir (Kenya) 28:49
3 Sergiy Lebid (Ukraine) 29:07
4 Abderrahim Goumri (Morocco) 29:14
5 Wilson Businei (Uganda) 29:15
6 Gabriele De Nard (Italy) 29:17
7 Daniele Caimmi (Italy) 29:22
8 Vasily Matvichuk (Ukraine) 29:23
9 Abdelkebir Lamachi (Morocco) 29:38
10 Jan Fitschen (Germany) 29:39
Women (5km):
1 Isabella Ochichi (Kenya) 15:53
2 Aniko Kalovics (Hungary) 16:04
3 Jo Pavey (Great Britain) 16:11
4 Susan Chepkemei (Kenya) 16:13
5 Silvia Weissteiner (Italy) 16:16
6 Renate Rungger (Italy) 16:19
7 Nadia Edjafini (Bahrein) 16:24
8 Agnes Tschurtschenthaler (Italy) 16:29
9 Rosaria Console (Italy) 16:40
10 Fatna Maraoui (Italy) 16:56
