Many call the third day of the Tor, the main day. The one in which the protagonists of podium are declared. Maybe a bit risky, for such a particular race, hard and long that didn't admits predictions. There is still a night to spend out on the trails at high altitude, and three mountains over 2700 meters to overcome.
First at Valtournenche was Oliviero Bosatelli, always with a regular step and without signs of fatigue. At the base life he made all things very calmly, as if it were in advance for an appointment. He chatted amiably with all. He had lunch with two main dishes and desserts and has also enjoyed a beer. In short, nothing to do with a frantic athlete near the finish line. A confession on his part: "The longest race I've been up to now was 180 kilometres length" and walked away with a smile amused leaving a bit lost the attendance.
After three and a half hours (half-hour before expected) arrived the "popular" Oscar Perez, in perfect physical condition. He only had patches on his back to protect him for shelter from the crampons's sharp teeth, able to escape from the backpack fabric. Tricks of a sailed runner. Perez, stopped only a dozen minutes and has spent almost all of this time to greet the volunteers that was offering him all kind of drink or food from the kitchen. After an hour and 15 minutes arrived the third competitor, also a Spaniard, Julio Cernuda Aldecoa. Much more reserved, he retired to do a nap before resuming the road, with the will to arriving at 2788 meters of the Col Vessonaz.
Then Eric Ressencourt, from France, Pablo Criado (the Spaniard from Grivel Team) and Andrea Macchi (Eolo Team). The most expected trailers from local people are two athletes traveling together and are at the seventh and eighth place. Only a handful of minutes separate them. She is the Paduan Lisa Borzani, the first woman and Marco Bethaz a very strong athlete from Aosta Valley. That's way the black and red flags of the Valley are being waved all for him. The two know each other well: in August they were on the first step of Gran Paradiso Trail's podium.
In Valtournenche, to cheer on the sidelines, there was also the French trailer Patrick Bohard, first at the finish line of Tor 2015. Tomorrow the first arrivals are expected while other athletes will be approximately halfway through. But equally Giants.