“For the fifth year, the Mont&eacute,e du Grand-Ballon in France is welcome the 15 WMRA Grand-Prix next 2nd June in Willer-sur-Thur.
This 33th race on the top of the Vosges is also this year and like in 2000, the French mountain running championship and the trail race for the Swiss team for the next European championship.
The promise of a really high level race this year.”
“Ahmet Arslan (Turkey) the six times European Champion, win at the Grand-Ballon last year and is back in France next 2nd June to begin his mountain season and to test his form before the next European championship.
He will find here in Willer-sur-Thur a high level race with three top Italian runners: Gabriele Abate (2d last year at the Grand-Ballon), Emanuele Manzi and Alex Baldaccini (also on the podium in 2012), all the best French runners: Julien Rancon, Raymond Fontaine, Emmanuel Meyssat, Sa&icirc,d Jandari, Didier Zago, the brothers Georges and Edouard Burrier, and also the best Swiss mountain specialists like David Schneider (winner at the Grand-Ballon in 2011).
Azaria Teklay Valdemariam from Eritrea, the last WMRA G.P. winner, should also be this year at the start of the Grand-Ballon, also if his presence is not sure at the moment.
By the women, this Mont&eacute,e du Grand-Ballon will be also a top race with at the start in Goldbach, Valentina Belotti (Italy) the winner of the last year, Emma Clayton and Sarah Tundstall from Great Britain, Bernadette Meyer-Br&auml,ndle (Switzerland) the winner of the race 2011, Martina Str&auml,hl (Switzerland) and also the best French women with Marie-Laure Dumergue, Aline Cambioulive, Ad&eacute,la&iuml,de Pantheon, Hafida Gadi.

News by Jean-Alain Haan (LOC)

Photos:
On front page: Turkish Ahmet Arslan
On second page: Italian Gabriele Abate

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