The Alpirod is a

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sled dog

stage race A race stage, leg, or heat is a unit of a race that has been divided in several parts for the reason such as length of the distance to be covered, as in a multi-day event. Usually, such a race consists of "ordinary" stages, but sometimes stages ...

Southern Europe Southern Europe is the southern regions of Europe, region of Europe. It is also known as Mediterranean Europe, as its geography is essentially marked by the Mediterranean Sea. Definitions of Southern Europe include some or all of these countrie ...

.Firth, p. 241 Its name comes from a combination of the

Alps The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...

, where the race took place, and the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race, upon which the race was based. The competition consisted of a 14-day stage race in 11 cities in four countries: Italy, Germany, Austria and France. The competition consisted of multiple short races separated by evening breaks, similar to cycling's

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. At the time, it was the largest sled dog race outside North America. The race was organized by Armen Khatchikian, an Italian Iditarod competitor who hoped to bring a form of that race to Europe. It first took place in 1988, and the inaugural race was won by Alaska racer Joe Runyan.Firth, p. 242 In 1989, the race was won by Kathy Swenson. She was the first woman to win the race. In 1990, Alaskan Roxy Wright Champaine won the race, becoming the third American winner. In 1992, the race was won by Nenana, Alaska musher Jacques Philip, who went on to win the race three times. Despite its initial success, it soon ran into difficulties. Fundraising and obtaining sponsors for the race proved difficult, and the competition was hampered by a lack of snow. In addition, the limited popularity of long-distance mushing outside North America crippled participation, as did the £10,000 cost to fly a dog team from Alaska to Italy. These factors caused the race to be shortened to in the early 1990s and shortened again to fewer than for the 1994 race. Prior to the 1996 race, the competition's primary sponsor, dog food manufacturer Royal Canin, ended its support of the competition and organizers announced its cancellation. Despite hopes that the race would find a new title sponsor to support its $150,000 purse, no sponsor emerged. The Alpirod was a pioneer in the use of dog microchip identification, requiring it several years before the Yukon Quest or Iditarod made the process mandatory. The unofficial successor to the Alpirod is the AlpenTrail, a sled dog race in the Alps started by several of the Alpirod's organizers.AlpenTrail
"History of the Alpen-Trail"
, Alpentrail.de. Accessed February 27, 2009.

References

* Firth, John. ''Yukon Quest: The 1,000-Mile Dog Sled Race Through the Yukon and Alaska''. Lost Moose Publishing, May 1998. {{reflist Dog sledding races Recurring sporting events established in 1988 Recurring events disestablished in 1995 Defunct sports competitions in Austria Defunct sports competitions in Germany Defunct sports competitions in France Defunct sports competitions in Italy