This morning in Falun, Sweden saw a return to action for many of the best middle-distance skiers in the world, many of whom skipped the super-long Vasaloppet right after the Olympics as well as yesterday's freestyle sprint in Borlange, in preparation for today's event: a 5km+5km continous pursuit.
The only North Americans on the starting line were Sara Renner and Beckie Scott of Canada, who unlike some competitors, raced both the Vasa and yesterday's sprint.
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/oldsitearchive/upload/0603082005DecCanmoreClassicSprintRelaykarlsaidla.jpg width=440 height=360 border=1><BR><font size=1 face=verdana>Beckie Scott. Photo by Karl Saidla</font></center><BR></p>
<p>It was a very tight race with the top 20 separated by only 20 seconds at the end. In a close three-way sprint for first, German Evi Sachenbacher Stehle held off Katerina Neumannova (Czech Republic) and Beckie Scott by mere tenths of a second. Scott was only half a second from another World Cup win, and impressively out-skied Russian star and overall World Cup contender Julija Tchepalova who finished 6th, as well as fourth-placed Justyna Kowalczyk (Poland) and Olga Savialova of Russia (5th.)</p>
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Women's Overall Standings as of March 8th: http://www.fis-ski.com/pdf/2006/CC/2852/2006CC2852WCOV.pdf
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/oldsitearchive/upload/060308CanadaWCsovlakespursuitskate1.jpg width=440 height=429 border=1><BR><font size=1 face=verdana>Scott. Photo by Karl Saidla</font></center><BR></p>
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