7th January 2009 01:17
The famous Italian cross country race celebrated its 52nd edition in the venue which played host to a very successful edition of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in December 2006.
Kalovics hit the front early in the women's race to take her second win in this competition, four years after her previous victory to beat among others, 2006 SPAR European Cross Country champion Tetyana Holovchenko from Ukraine.
Having recently returned from altitude training in the South African sun, the Hungarian was unfazed by the freezing conditions and is now planning on racing in Elgoibar, Seville and San Vittore Olona.
Italian hopes were carried by Elena Romagnolo who eventually finished strongly to take the runners-up spot and showed an improvement in her tenth place at the SPAR European Cross Country Championships in Brussels last month.
In the mens race, Lebid and SPAR European U23 Cross Country champion Andrea Lalli led the charge of the Europeans against a number of high class Africans who didn't find the snow to their liking!
As so often happens, Lebid showed no fear and took the race to the Africans, leading for over the first 20 minutes before eventually giving way to Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge to loose by the narrowest of margins.
Lalli, who won the SPAR European Cross Country Junior title on this course in 2006 showed he will be a force to be reckoned with in the future when he finished in fourth position ahead of a number of more fancied senior runners.