Intro:

Spain's Oscar Perez won the Tor des Geants endurance trail race in Italy on Wednesday, after completing the course in 75 hours and 56 minutes and 31 seconds.

Script:

621 competitors started the 330 kilometre Tor des Geants in the Italian town of Courmayeur on Sunday with a tough route through the Alps ahead of them.

Some decided to walk and others opted for a faster pace.

But all competitors were slowed down by storms and snow at 2700 metres.

As the weather improved overnight into Monday morning, Gregoire Millet and Christophe Le Saux of France and Spain's Oscar Perez led from the front.

Oscar Perez had already won the Grand Raid Occitane, the ultra-trail Puy Mary Aurillac and the ultra-trail of Andorra this year and he finished strongly to win his fourth event of 2012.

The Spaniard crossed the finish line in Courmayeur in a time of 75 hours, 56 minutes and 31 seconds.

Gregoire Millet finished nearly three hours behind Perez in second, while his compatriot, Christophe Le Saux, was a further hour behind in third.

For each and ever athlete who completed the epic endurance test, the finish line was a welcome relief.