Great, great Italy in the cross-country swimming marathon. Dario Verani and Matteo Furlan score a spectacular double at the European Championships on stage in the waters ofAda Ciganlija: the 25 kilometers still remains a tricolor affair, after Mario Sanzullo’s victory two years ago in the Rome race ‘cut short’ by bad weather.
In a race that is always difficult due to its length, the first to break the deadlock is the Frenchman Axel Reymond, who takes the lead for the first three kilometers, breaking the group, but is caught again after less than forty minutes of the race. Furlan is behind him with the German Moritz Bockes, Verani and Sanzullo appear shortly behind.
The latter is forced to raise the white flag around eight kilometers due to an unspecified illness. Reymond is still the liveliest in the group, attempting a couple more times, the second -5 from the finish line, but the two Italians in the group remain attentive behind the transalpine.
And then it is Verani who accelerates more and more, increasing the pace and coming in second behind Reymond in the last kilometre. In these cases it’s a fight with the remaining energy, and it’s the Tuscan who has the most, going to touch first in 5h8’50”. And the party is completed with Furlan who puts the arrow on Reymond in the last kilometers taking second place.
