For the very first stage of its history, the World Skate Marathon Tour (WSMT) makes its first stop in Shanghai. 

The most awaited stage of the 42km marathon saw Sunday April the 14th, more than 1000 skaters at the start in the iconic Bund, led by the World's strongest Pro athletes from 11 teams, followed by Masters, Amateurs, families and children.

A colourful and fast trail whizzed through the streets of Shanghai in an unpredictable race.

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The race starts at 7 am under dry conditions, but the weather forecast doesn't lie, and at 7:15 am the first drops fall on the wide streets of Shanghai.

For the men, an early sprint by the Belgian World champion Bart Swings at the start of the marathon left everyone behind, and led a solo performance till the end, under the rain, with dry wheels, crossing the line solo in 1 hour and 9 minutes.

The just-wet asphalt turns into an ice rink trapping several Pro skaters who didn't opt for the right wheels. Among the men, notable incidents include the fall of Nolan Beddiaf (FR Skates) and the withdrawal of Elton De Souza (MST Takino). Among the women, the underperformance of Gabriela Rueda (Powerslide Vesmaco) and Guo Dan (Team Suzhou) had the biggest impact on the outcome of the women's marathon.

In the chasing group, three men manage to break away: Mike Paez (Wicked Powerslide), Patxi Peula (Rollerblade), and Julio Minera, finishing 2nd, 3rd, and 4th respectively.

Among the women, it's a sprint finish for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places among the 8 survivors. Gabriela Vargas (Arena Geisengen) takes the lead of this group 2 kilometers from the finish line to avoid any potential incidents. Marie Dupuy (Wicked Powerslide) leads into the final 500-meter straight, followed closely by Gabriela Vargas, who overtakes Marie in the last few meters of the 150-meter duel. Gabriela Vargas claims the very first WSMT victory in 1 hour and 22 minutes ahead of Marie Dupuy in 2nd place and Noraly Berber Vonk (SPSPSK) in 3rd.

The most anticipated moment was the presentation of the Green Jersey: an iconic symbol of the marathon leader, given to Vargas and Swings, who wore for the first time what will become every skater's wish in the coming stages.

The White Jersey of future stars was instead handed over to Colombian Maria Camila Vargas of NL-Premium and Chinese Hao Sun Team Suzhou.

The Team ranking after the first stop of the WSMT see Wicked Powerslide leading the ranking, followed by Powerslide Vesmaco and Arena Geisingen CCN Team.

Next stop of the WSMT will be Pescara, Italy at the end of the World Skate Games, saturday 21st September.

Find all the Shanghai Marathon picture inside our GALLERY.

To discover the full results and the Team Ranking check the RESULTS HERE

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