Saturday 6 April will also take place the classic match in Podebrady, in the Czech Republic, where they will challenge the teams of France, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Slovakia and Hungary, in addition to the hosts. The match at the beginning of spring, as usual, represents a moment of verification for the most experienced athletes and a test-bed for young people, towards the upcoming European Cup events in Alytus (Lithuania, May 19).
Four competitions are scheduled: 20km senior and 10km U20, male and female, in addition to those for U18 and masters.
20km women
Forty-eight athletes entered the race.
Among all the names of Eleonora Anna Giorgi (ITA) and Anezka Drahotova (CZE) stand out, who have quite similar personal bests both obtained in Murcia in the 2015 European Cup
- Drahotova: fourth place in 1:26:53
- Giorgi: second place in 1:26:17
The two athletes have already met several times in their sporting career with alternate results that sometimes favored one and sometimes the other.
The following table indicates the results of personal matches in the most important competitions from 2014 to today.
| Competition | Anezka Drahotova | Eleonora Giorgi |
| | | |
| Zurich 2014 | 3° in 1:28:08 | 5° in 1:28:28 |
| Rome 2016 | 19° in 1:31:15 | DQ |
| Rio de Janeiro 2016 | 10° in 1:30:43 | DQ |
| London 2017 | DNF | 14° in 1:30:34 |
| Taicang 2018 | 6° in 1:28:40 | 5° in 1:28:31 |
| Berlin 2018 | 2° in 1:27:03 | DQ |
There has been no history in Lugano recently. The Italian won clearly (1:31:07) while the representative of the Czech Republic had to settle for third place in just enough 1:34:26.
As outsiders it will be interesting to see Zivilè Vaiciukeviciute (LTU) who has a personal best of 1:28:07. but that this year failed to do better than 1:33:54 by taking the luxury recently to Dudince to beat Anezka Drahotova too.
Other names that could be interesting on Saturday will be those of Emilie Menuet (FRA), Mirna Ortiz (GUA), Saskia Feige (GER) and the two young athletes from Mexico Alegna Gonzalez and Valeria Ortuno.
20km men
Sixty-four athletes entered the race.
Obviously a more difficult race to decipher even if the victory should not be questioned, probably being a question between two:
- Christopher Linke (GER) with his personal best of 1:18:59 obtained here in Podebrady in the 2017 edition
- Vasiliy Mizinov (ANA) able this year to obtain in Sochi (RUS) the new personal best of 1:18:32 which represents the seventh seasonal world performance on the 20km, after six athletes from Japan. In any case, Mizinov's mark in 2019 is currently the best European performance.
The fight for the podium should then concern the following athletes:
- Eder Sanchez (MEX) who boasts a personal best of 1:18:34 who goes back to May 10, 2008 and obtained in Cheboksary (RUS).
- Georgi Sheiko (KAZ) who boasts a personal best of 1:20:21 obtained recently in Nomi (JPN) on Mar. 17, 2019
- Rafal Fedaczynski (POL) who boasts a personal best of 1:20:18 obtained in Podebrady in the 2014 edition and that this year has only competed at Dudince in the 50km finishing in 5th place in 3:50:41
- Artur Brzozowski (POL) who boasts a personal best of 1:20:33 obtained in London 2017 and that this year has already competed at the Oceania Championships in Adelaide (AUS) ending in 1:24:49 in a day from infernal heat
- Alex Wright (IRL) who boasts a personal best of 1:21:17 obtained in Rio Maior in 2017 and that this year has already competed in Lugano (SUI) finishing in second place in 1:22:45.
- Matteo Giupponi (ITA) who boasts a personal best of 1:20:27 obtained in Rio de Janeiro in 2018 and which this year has already competed in Lugano (SUI) finishing in fifth place in 1:24:51.
- Federico Tontodonati (ITA) who boasts a personal best of 1:21:52 obtained in Rome (ITA) on Mar. 4, 2018 and which this year has already competed in the Italian 20km road Championships in Cassino (ITA) finishing in third place in 1:23:51.