The poor thermal plain landed many of the most titled. Only six complete the course.
After the two stops of the previous days, finally a day of competition has come to an end. Many, however, the drivers who failed to complete the course, in fact only six reach the goal line .
The fifth day of competition of the 15th edition of the Paragliding World Championship also tested the strategic thinking, mental endurance and perseverance of the 150 vying for the title of champion.
A task started above Passo Croce D’Aune:the pilots manage to climb easily and they all go around the first buoy (Le Buse) without any problems to head towards Nevegal. A leading group, where there were also Italians, French and Slovenes , starts very fast, but above the plain of Villabruna many end up losing altitude , cannot find thermals to climb up and are forced to land . Among these also the reigning world champion Honorin Hamard (Fra).
The haste of the leading group was however propitious to all those left behind who, given the parade of the front lines, chose to aim further northto head towards the second buoy along the mountain. Longer road, but richer in updrafts.
The race at this point is open on two fronts: under the mountains , the Swiss Morgenthaler leads a group that has chosen the longest route, but which has maintained altitude more easily, which must however stop and make altitude north of Belluno, further afield. south instead a group of pilots resist the lack of thermals , trying to recover little by little altitude above Villabruna. Among the latter our Italians Biagio Alberto Vitale and Luca Donini and the French Seiko Fukuoka Naville and Pierre Remy.
Of the group “stranded” in the plain of Villabruna, one part succeeds in reaching altitude and taking the north to get around the Nevegal buoy, as previously done by the group led by Morgenthaller (among them Donini and Fukuoka), the others (Vitale and Remy) they manage to make thermals on the plains and reach and go around the Nevegal buoy from the south.
At this point in the direction of the municipality of Cesiomaggiore and here above the three lines of competition rejoin and go around the buoy of Villabruna. About 30 pilots remain in the air. The route continues with the rounding of the buoy above Salmenega, then Monte Aurin and cutting the finish line above the Boscherai . Adrian Hachen (Sui) ends
the heat first .Among women, no one crosses the finish line . For the Italians, the best position of the day belongs to Luca Donini from Trentino who finishes in 2nd position.
Provisional ranking of the task of 8 July, pending the latest recoveries and technical assessments and the following: for men Adrian Hachen (Sui), Luca Donini (Ita) and Von Kanel Patrick (Sui) and for women: Kari Ellis (Aus) and Seiko Fukuoka Naville (Fra) equal points, in third position Khobi-Jane Bowden (Rsa)
Provisional general classification , pending the latest recoveries and technical assessments and the following: for men Pierre Remy (Fra),Dusan Oroz (Slo), Honorin Hamard (Fra) and for women Seiko Fukuoka Naville (Fra), Silvia Buzzi Ferraris (Ita), Kari Ellis (Aus). Teams: Switzerland, France and Slovenia .
Source: press release
