Valsir World Cup: Overall and Category Standings ahead of World Cup Final
A season of incredible racing has already produced 2 dominant champions and two of the three category podiums, the Classic and the Long, are settled, with Short and Overall standings to be decided this weekend.
The Short category will be decided on Saturday over 3.2km and 1,000m+ at Chiavenna-Lagunc, the 2022 Valsir World Cup Final, with the make up of both men's and women's podiums hanging in the balance.
Movement on the Overall standings is guaranteed as well, the bonus points available at the World Cup Final making a strong performance in Chiavenna extra valuable. With prize money available all the way down to 12th place there is still plenty to fight for!
OVERALL - STANDINGS
The story of the season has been the remarkable form of two Run2gether athletes from Kenya, Joyce Njeru and Patrick Kipngeno; they started winning at Montemuro Vertical Run and they've hardly stopped since. For Njeru, the defending champion, 2022 has been even more fruitful than 2021; 6 wins to last year's 4 and with an athletes overall score consisting of their 6 best results, she ends the season with a perfect score of 300 points.
Kipngeno's explosion onto the world stage has been a sensation. The fact that the one blemish on his Valsir World Cup record is a 3rd place at Sierre-Zinal speaks volumes. He too has taken 6 Gold Label wins and will finish the season with a perfect score.
Their teammate Philemon Kiriago has hardly been less impressive, with 5 second places and a 3rd cementing him in 2nd place.
Zak Hanna and Petro Mamu sit 3rd and 4th and will both race at Chiavenna-Lagunc this weekend. Having given some of his strongest ever performances in the Vertical Kilometres this year, the Irishmand is odds on to hang on to his podium spot, though you can be sure that the Eritrean will be there to capitalise should Hanna falter.
Timotej Bečan and Andrea Rostan, both racing on Saturday, sit 7th and 8th, while last year's World Cup Champion Henri Aymonod lies in 10th place after an injury hit season. The three time Chiavenna-Lagunc winner stands to make big strides up the standings if he comes into form at the right time.
Behind Joyce Njeru, it looks like a 3 way battle for 2nd and 3rd place between Lucy Murigi, Camilla Magliano, and Andrea Mayr.
Charlotte Cotton, currently 6th, is in with a chance of catching Monica Madalina Florea in 5th and Susanna Saapunki, 9th, could climb several places with a good result.
SHORT - STANDINGS
Andrea Mayr and Zak Hanna will start Saturday's Valsir World Cup Final as favourites to take the win in the Short category.
Although Mayr trails Joyce Njeru by 35 points, either a win or a 2nd place would be enough to see her claim the title and few would bet against the Queen of the Uphill.
Sitting in 4th place, Camilla Magliano will be looking to overtake Monica Madalina Florea in 3rd. If she does so she will join Njeru in making the podium in all 3 categories this year, an impressive achievement.
Philemon Kiriago is set to do the same thing. He sits 3rd, tied on points with both Zak Hanna and Patrick Kipngeno who currently sits top thanks to his 2 wins. With Daniel Osanz not racing and Andrea Rostan just slightly too far back to make it onto the podium, Kiriago will hold on to that third spot.
With 3 World Cup podiums to his name this year, and both Run2gether athletes absent, there are few who would bet against Zak Hanna taking Short category honours on Saturday.
CLASSIC - RESULTS
The podium places in this category were decided even before last weekend's concluding Classic race, Šmarna gora.
Joyce Njeru and Patrick Kipngeno are untouchable champions, with wins for both in the 3 Gold Label races in the category, Montemuro Vertical Run, Grossglockner Berglauf and Montee du Nid d'Aigle, giving them a maximum score of 150 points.
Camilla Magliano was the only other woman to score points in all 3 of those races and takes 2nd place as a result, while 2nd at Grossglockner and 5th at M.N.A. is enough to give Lucy Murigi third place.
A pair of 2nd places sees Philemon Kiriago take the second step of the podium, ahead of Zak Hanna.
LONG - RESULTS
For Petro Mamu, that sprint finish at Sierre-Zinal proved decisive! One place further back and the Eritrean would have had to settle for 2nd place, tied on points with Loic Robert, the Frenchman's 2 wins at Canfranc-Canfranc and Zumaia Flysch Trail giving him the edge over Mamu's single win at Giir di Mont.
Philemon Kiriago takes the 3rd spot having scored in 3 races.
The women's Long category contest came right down to the wire with the podium places only settled last weekend at Zumaia Flysch Trail. Lucy Murigi's course record setting win was enough to send her to the top of the standings, while Camilla Magliano's 3rd place brought her agonisingly close to Joyce Njeru. The Kenyan athlete hangs on to 2nd place, with the Italian in 3rd.
All photos by Marco Gulberti.