Good Morning Gatineau: Ski Tour Canada Starts Today

BrainspiralMarch 1, 2016
Andy Newell and Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess during official training on Monday, one day before the start of the 2016 Ski Tour Canada in Gatineau, Quebec. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Americans Andy Newell and Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess during official training on Monday, one day before the start of the 2016 Ski Tour Canada in Gatineau, Quebec. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)

(Note: This article has been updated to reflect the adjusted distances for the men’s and women’s classic mass starts in Montreal on Wednesday, March 2.)

The U.S. Ski Team is ready. And we’re sure the Canadians are bursting at the seams. Are you? Over the last week, World Cup cross-country ski racers from about 25 nations descended on Ottawa, Ontario, and the Gatineau just across the river in western Quebec in anticipation of the first of eight stages at the Ski Tour Canada, which doubles as World Cup finals.

Races start Tuesday with the men’s and women’s 1.7-kilometer freestyle sprints in Gatineau, with the elimination rounds starting at 1:45 Eastern time, and continue Wednesday about 200 kilometers east in Montreal, Quebec, with the first distance races of the Tour: the women’s 10.5 k and men’s 17.5 k classic mass starts.

Canadian roster | U.S. roster

With temperatures up around freezing on Monday afternoon, the Gatineau sprint course both softened and transformed under the sun. It cooled down considerably overnight, with temperatures around -17 degrees Celsius (1 Fahrenheit) and a forecast high of -10 (14 Fahrenheit) with high winds expected.

Looking down the finishing stretch at the World Cup course in Montreal, as seen Monday two days before the races there on Wednesday. (Photo: Francois Leger Dionne)
Looking down the finishing stretch at the World Cup course in Montreal, as seen Monday two days before the races there on Wednesday. (Photo: Francois Leger Dionne)

A blizzard is also on the way, with snowfall anticipated in Montreal starting between 4 and 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Accumulation could be around 25-30 centimeters (10-12 inches) of snow Tuesday night and into Wednesday: race day in Montreal.

There, the 3.5 k course has been altered slightly from its original plan due to “technical challenges related to the water supply service,” which would have made snowmaking difficult atop Mount Royal, a large hill just west of downtown Montreal, organizers explained in press release earlier this month. The course was moved from the top to the bottom, near the George-Étienne Cartier Monument, “a location that is easily accessible to the public,” the release stated.

Snow conditions on Monday were “rock hard” and icy, according to one FasterSkier reporter, due to freezing rain Monday morning.

Like Gatineau, Montreal’s high temperatures were around freezing on Monday and forecast to be -10 Celsius on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Here is a collection of photos and quotes from the days leading up to the Tour, as well as a complete schedule below.

 

All races are expected to be broadcast on NBC Sports Live Extra (accessible to U.S. subscribers via cable or satellite), and all times are Eastern Standard Time.

Tuesday, March 1: Gatineau

(Not part of broadcast: Women’s qualifier at 11:15 a.m.: start list | Men’s qualifier at noon: start list)
1:45 p.m. – Men’s and women’s freestyle sprint heats

Wednesday, March 2: Montreal
12:00 p.m. – Women’s 13 k classic mass start
2:30 p.m. – Men’s 20 k classic mass start

Friday, March 4: Quebec City
3:30 p.m. – Men’s and women’s freestyle sprint

Saturday, March 5: Quebec City
3:00 p.m. – Women’s 10 k freestyle pursuit
4:00 p.m. – Men’s 15 k freestyle pursuit

Tuesday, March 8: Canmore
3:00 p.m. – Men’s and women’s classic sprint

Wednesday, March 9: Canmore
12:00 p.m. – Women’s 15 k skiathlon
2:30 p.m. – Men’s 30 k skiathlon

Friday, March 11: Canmore
11:45 a.m. – Women’s 10 k freestyle interval start
3:00 p.m. – Men’s 15 k freestyle interval start

Saturday, March 12: Canmore
3:00 p.m. – Women’s 10 k classic pursuit
4:00 p.m. – Men’s 15 k classic pursuit

Brainspiral

Loading Facebook Comments ...

Leave a Reply