Newsletter Toro 2007 Official bulletin of the 14th SPAR European Cross Country Championships # 4 - 3rd DECEMBER 2007 SUMMARY CONTENTS PUBLISHED BY COORDINATION Final entries................................pág. 1 Organising Committee Marco Alonso Great names in Toro.................pág. 2 Toro 2007 Ignacio Mansilla Press conference in Diputación...pág. 3 We interview Sergiy Lebid .......pag. 4 464464 athletesathletes fromfrom 3030 countriescountries inin thethe finalfinal entriesentries On the 1st December the Armenia, Belgium, Belarus, 55 athletes respectively). categories. They are France, results of the final entries of the Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Regarding the participant coun- Great Britain, Ireland, Italy and SPAR European Cross Country Croatia, Czech Republic, Den- tries, only five will compete in all Spain. Championships, to be held next mark, Estonia, Finland, France, 9th December in Toro’s Monte Germany, Great Britain, Hun- La Reina Course, were announ- gary, Ireland, Italy, Monaco, ced. 464 athletes from 30 coun- Netherlands, Norway, Poland, tries have been entered to take Portugal, Romania, Russia, part in these Championships, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Swe- which will have an official pro- den, Switzerland, Turkey and gramme of six races (senior, Ukraine. The record of partici- U23 and junior, both in men and pating countries was establis- women’s category). Teams can hed in the Malmö 2000 edition enter a maximum of eight athle- with 31, while the biggest num- tes per event of which only six ber of athletes was reached last will be allowed to take part in year in San Giorgio su Legnano the race. The final starting list with 468 athletes. will be announced after the By categories, the most celebration of the Technical numerous one is the Junior one, Meeting on the 8 December, with 96 athletes in men category starting at 12:00 hours in the and 91 in women. It is followed European Athletics Club in Mon- by U23 category with a figure of te La Reina Course. 85 men and 74 women while the Athletes have been entered Senior races will be the ones One of the races of the last edition, held in the Italian city of San Giorgio su Legnano. by the following countries: with least participation (63 and 1 Great names of European Cross Country running in Toro In the final entries of the Do you SPAR European Cross Country Championships we can find know that? important names which, without any doubt, will offer us an unfor- gettable competition. If we Last weekend it was review all the categories of the celebrated in the Zamora official programme for example Fair (IFEZA) “Innovaduero”, in the Senior men’s race the Spanish-Portuguese Fair of main attraction will be Ukrainian New Technologies and Active Sergiy Lebid, the man who has Tourism. With a total budget achieved more victories in the of 120.000 euros, this Fair history of the competition: six in counted with the presence of Ferrara 1998, Thun 2001, 40 companies of this sector Medulin 2002, Edinburgh 2003, of active tourism, renowable Heringsdorf 2004 and Tilburg energies, telecommunica- 2005 editions, being also the tions and computing. The only athlete who has taken part in all editions of the Champions- presentation of this exhibition hips from its origins in Alwick was celebrated last 27th 1994. In Toro he will face Spa- November in Diputación de nish Alberto García and Jesús Zamora. España, 5.000 European cham- pions in Munich’2002 and Göte- Alberto García and Sergey Lebid will face each other again in Zamora’s City Major borg’2006 along with Chema Toro. Rosa Valdeón, and Promo- Martínez, 10.000 metres Euro- European Champions in the dir, who will fight for the medals tion Councillor Antonio Silván pean champion in Munich. Por- junior race in 1999 and 2000. with the support of his fellow have signed a collaboration tugal will present in its team the In the other categories there countrymen. In the women’s race agreement to build a Con- bronze medallist in 1.500 in will be also important names. For British Stephanie Twell will gress, Fairs and Exhibitions Athens 2004 Olympic Games example, in the Junior men’s defend her European title. The Centre in Zamora. The future Rui Silva, while in the Italian race we can find some athletes last category will be U23 in which building will be located next team we can underline Gabriele who classified among the first we will find a European Cham- to “Laboral University” facili- Di Nard, a veteran athlete that ten last year in San Giorgio. pion, Italian Andrea Lalli, who ties. will run his eleventh Europeans. Among them Romanian Ciprian won in 2006 in the junior race, At the same time in the Senior Suhanea, bronze medallists the- while among the women we can Pevafersa will cons- women’s race one of the most re, or Ukrainian Dymtro Lashyn, underline Romanian Ancuta truct in Toro the most impor- outstanding athletes is the dou- sixth classified. They will have to Bobocel and Spanish Marta tant galvanizations factory ble 5.000 European Champion, face local star Mohamed Elben- Romo. in Spain. The foreseen Spanish Marta Domínguez, who investment is 12 million will have to compete against two euros and it will create 30 Cross Country European Cham- jobs. The main objective of pions: British Hayley Yelling (Heringsdorf 2004) and Ukrai- this project is to reduce the nian Tetyana Holovchenko (San construction costs. We Giorgio su Legnano 2006) and have to remind that in this also an experienced woman like moment these works are Serbian Olivera Jevtic, with five made in some Spanish fac- bronze medals in this competi- tories and the final product tion. In addition, one of the is more expensive due to countries with a strongest team the transportation costs. All will be Portugal, which includes of them will benefit the Fernanda Ribeiro, Olympic, reduction of the final price. World and European champion in 10.000 metres, or Ines Mon- teiro and Jessica Augusto, Current European champion Tetyana Holovchenko will compete in Toro. 2 Press conference in Diputación de Zamora n the 19th Novem- time in Spain and this is why ber a press confe- the repercussion of the event Orence was held for will be even longer”. Diputa- the SPAR European Cross ción de Zamora’s president Country Championships in reminded us of the prestige of Diputación de Zamora (provin- Spain in organisating athletic cial government), with the par- events that he hope it will be ticipation of Fernando Martí- increased by the Toro’s com- nez Maillo, Diputación presi- petition. dent, Jesús Andrés Sedano, At the same time Toro City Toro city major, and José Major Jesús Andrés Sedano María Odriozola, Spanish invited “all the Zamora’s pro- Federation president. vince to enjoy with us with this Martínez Maillo underlined Cross Country party. We enjoy the importance of these Cham- an incomparable landscape in pionships for Zamora’s provin- Monte La Reina course. I’m ce: “when I was informed totally sure that the image of about this competition I knew the city will be reinforced after that it was an important oppor- this event”. tunity that we can not let go. Finally, José María Odrio- José María Odriozola, Spanish Federation president, Fernando Mar- For Zamora’s province is a zola, RFEA’s president, spoke tínez Maillo, Diputación de Zamora president and Jesús Andrés great opportunity and for Toro about the chances of the Spa- Sedano, Toro major, during the press conference. a showcase at all levels. We nish team in this competition: achieving some podiums also sign for this edition. I’m also can not count all days with “the expectations are maxi- in the individual and in the confident in the fact that some such an event like this in mum because among the first team’s competitions. For athletes from Castilla y León Zamora. In addition we have to classified in the Europeans example, last year in San can entered the team which remind that this competition we can also see Spanish ath- Giorgio we obtained some will generate a higher expec- will be celebrated for the first letes and we are confident in medals which is a very good tations”. Toro’s landmarks Roman Bridge One of the most idyllic images of and the holm oak form part of the city Toro is the one of its Roman Bridge shield. from the tallest part of the city. The The Bridge was located in one of the date of its construction is not clear but most important paths of Lusitania pro- it’s believed to date from the first Cen- vince, of great importance in the tury of our Era, in times of Trajano Roman era. One part of this path is Emperor. called “Silver road”. Some historians The Bridge is located in the widest defend that the name proceeds from part of Duero river and it’s placed over the Latin “Via Lata” (long road) being a rock basement that acts like solid the reason of this name the fact that it foundations. It is formed by 26 middle was the longest path of the region, point archs of 4,80 metres diameter crossing the present provinces of and with great cushion voussoirs; Badajoz, Cáceres, Salamanca, Zamo- columns are reinforced by ligth but- ra, Valladolid, Segovia, Madrid, Gua- tresses, its lenght is 176 metres and dalajara, Soria y Zaragoza. The dis- it’s 3,70 metres width. We have to tance of this road was 632 Roman remind that the Roman Bridge, the bull miles (928 kilometres). 3 We interview: Sergiy Lebid: “I hope to bring a medal with me from Toro” Oliver Divljak return to Ukraine I at least want to have a medal in my hands.