DAY 3 - Sunday 12 february

This third day of the European Championships sprint was again cold, windy and snowy.
However, with more snow and a very good trail we could see a beautiful race.
Due to the snow all trails were slower than in previous days.
In Pulka Roman Reistetter (Slk) gets a new European Champion title, while Klaus Baümel (A) ended his very last sled dog race at the second place.
In Skijoring two dogs, Matjaz Ovsenek (Slo) gets his first title in this category, and the first title for Slovenia in FISTC history. Second is a nice Italian lady, Alessandra Lupezza and third the unlucky Slovak Marcel Matanin, who lost his dogs on the first day but then was the fastest on days 2 and 3.
Skijoring 1dog/1 was dominated by Slovak skiers with Igor Stefan becoming European Champion, Jan Mlynar second and Patrik Lucansky third.
Skijoring 1dog/2 was an Austrian story Manuel Haslacher becoming European Champion, with Romuald Schönfeld second and Sepp Brugger third.
Skijoring 1dog Women was dominated by German ladies and her Alaskan Malamutes, with Vicki Würfl becoming European Champion followed by Simone Nolte and Marina Gröschl.
In O class, Jean Combazard (F), just back from the "Grande Odissée" is European Champion and second we have Matteo Bartolini (I).
In A classs, Jurgen Stolz (D) is not only European Champion but also the fastest team on the trail ! Vice European Champion is Karl Rachbauer (A) very close to the first.
In B1 class the title of European Champion went to Massimo Martini (I) closely followed by Carel Van de Mortel (NL).
In B2, Giorgio Pirini (I) wins the title closely followed by Bernd Sauerhöfer (D) who, despite his best performance in days 2 and 3, could not catch the time lost on the first day.
In C1, Alexander Serdjukov (A) wins the title as he has been the fastest on each of the three days. Second and vice European Champion is Roberto Mattasoglio (I).
In C2, the French Laurent Blot is European Champion and vice European Champion we find Martin Zapletal (CZ) bith teams with Greenland dogs. Third place goes to Harry Braeckmans with four Malamutes. We should note in this category the problems encountered by the French Anthony Coffre whose dogs started fighting between themselves and the perfect behaviour of Ron de Ruiter who could stop and help him, he is a musher with great fair play.
Rhe D1 class was dominated by Christoph Rotter (A) European Champion, followed by Graziella Beltrame (I) and the third place was won by a very young junior, Marc Wiatowski (D). As such Marc Wiatowski is the 2012 FISTC European Champion junior, second junior and vice European Champion is the young and excellent musher coming from Russia, Alexey Tarazanov, third junion is Valentina Bottega (I), followed by another four junior mushers.
Finally, in the D2 class the title was won by Bernd Kirstein (D) and his two Greenland dogs and second is Sepp Brugger (A) with his Malamutes.

This is the end of the Championships sprint 2012, now we move to Gryon in Switzerland for the Championships MD/LT.

Next year the sprint championships will again take place in Italy, but on the other side of the country, close to the French border, and organised by the other Italian club CIS (the club that organised Auronzo).

Final result list of race