Bezabeh beat Farah at the 2009 Euro XC Champs and was later banned for 2-years for doping.
I know I missed that medal. I’m racing against a guy who I lost a medal to – but am I ever going to get that medal back? No. Anyone associated with that should get a liftetime ban. I’m doing it the right way so let me do what I do, let me run.”
Euro XC champ Alemayehu Bezabeh was 3rd, 16-seconds behind them. Kenya’s Magdalene Masai (younger sister of former world 10,000m champion Linet Masai) won the women's race.
Just as the women's race, both men finished with the same time. Spain's defending champion Alemayehu Bezabeh was third, 11-seconds back. Turkey won the team competition, beating Spain by 3-points. *Results
The race also serves as the European Club XC Championships and will see Spain's 2013 Euro XC champ Alemayehu Bezabeh take on Italy's 2012 champ Andrea Lalli.
The men's 8K and women's 6K are the team competitions between USA, UK and Europe. On the men's side Bobby Mack leads for the US and faces the top 3 from European XC Champs led by Spain's Alemayehu Bezabeh. For the women Ireland’s Fionnuala Britton will go for her 3rd straight victory, but will face two women who beat her at Euro XC, France’s Sophie Duarte and UK's Gemma Steel.
Bezabeh recently returned from a drug suspension after being implicated in Operación Galgo.