 on 31st of December and will continue as planned in Oberstdorf (GER), Asiago (ITA) and Val di Fiemme (ITA). Despite enormous efforts by the local organizing committee, the first two Stages of the Viessmann FIS Tour de Ski performance by Craft Sportswear at Nove Mesto na Morave (CZE), planned for 29th and 30th of December, had to be cancelled due to the lack of snow and mild weather.<br />
Six competitions will take place in eight days c “Final Climb†in Val di Fiemme on 7th January.</p><p>After the first stage in Munich (GER), the Tour will move to the 10.000-inhabitant village of Oberstdorf in Allgäu (850m over the sea level), in the southernmost part of Germany, approx. 2 hours from Munich. A shortened pursuit races with 5 km + 5 km for the ladies and 10 km + 10 km for the men will take place in the well-known Cross-Country Stadium Ried on 2nd of January. On the following day, 3rd of January, an individual race over 10 km (ladies) and 15km (men) in the classical technique will be on the schedule.</p><p>The fourth competition will take place in Asiago, Italy, on 5th of January. A second sprint competition in the free technique will be organized on the golf course (approx 1.100m) in the province of Vicenza.</p><p>The last venue will be in the valley of ‘Fiemme’ (ITA, approx. 900m), which already hosted the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2003. On 6th January 2007 the athletes will compete in a mass start race over 15 km (ladies) and 30 km (men) in the classical technique. The last competition on 7th January, the so-called ‘Final Climb,’ will start in the Cross-Country Stadium Lago di Tesero and end on the Alpe Cermis, with the last climb stretching over 3,5 km with an altitude climb of 425m. The ladies race over 10 km and the men over 15 km in the free technique.</p><p>Course maps, course profiles etc. are available on www.tour-de-ski.com</p><p><center><img decoding=)
A Tour de Ski Primer
FasterSkier · December 25, 2006
1. Place 7'500
2. Place 3'750
3. Place 1'875
4. Place 1'125
5. Place 750
Daily Prize Money per Stage (CHF)
*still the same
1. Place 5'000
2. Place 3'000
3. Place 2'000
. World Cup Points
Unlike at regular World Cup competitions, the winners of the individual Tour Stages will not receive World Cup points. As already planned for the Tour de Ski the winners of the overall Tour Ranking will be awarded World Cup points as follows:
1. Place = 400 Points 16. Place = 60 Points 2. Place = 320 Points 17. Place = 56 Points 3. Place = 240 Points 18. Place = 52 Points 4. Place = 200 Points 19. Place = 48 Points 5. Place = 180 Points 20. Place = 44 Points 6. Place = 160 Points 21. Place = 40 Points 7. Place = 144 Points 22. Place = 36 Points 8. Place = 128 Points 23. Place = 32 Points 9. Place = 116 Points 24. Place = 28 Points 10. Place = 104 Points 25. Place = 24 Points 11. Place = 96 Points 26. Place = 20 Points 12. Place = 88 Points 27. Place = 16 Points 13. Place = 80 Points 28. Place = 12 Points 14. Place = 72 Points 29. Place = 8 Points 15. Place = 64 Points 30. Place = 4 Points
 — or the Summit of Cross-Country. </p><p>The Tour trophies will be presented to the top three athletes by FIS President Gian Franco Kasper together with sponsor representatives at the official Tour prize giving ceremony in Cavalese on January 7th in the evening.</p><p><center><img decoding=)
According to the experts and other top athletes, you are one of the Tour Favorites, do you think that you will be able to fulfill this expectation?
Anders Soedergren: Of course, I would like to try to be on the top. It is something new for all athletes, we don’t know what exactly is waiting for us but I will try my best.
Some of the competitions are perfect for me — but some others do not fit me as well, the sprints for example. Yet, as I mentioned already, my big goal is to be on the top and manage all the “hurdlesâ€.
At the end of the first Tour de Ski, we must draw our own conclusions and learn for the future.
Who are the other favorites to win the
first edition of the Tour in your opinion?
Anders Soedergren: In the men’s competition we have a lot of favorites. It is difficult to name the right ones, but I think the Norwegians such as Eldar Roenning and Tor Arne Hetland could be strong as well as the German guys around Tobias Angerer and Axel Teichmann. In general, all “All-rounders†have a chance to win.
Do you think that team tactics during the competitions, as in cycling, could help to win the Tour?
Anders Soedergren: Of course, we will try to help each other in the team but I don’t think that the team has the same value in skiing as in cycling. Skiing is more of an individual sport and will be that also during the Tour.
What are your goals after the Tour – to win the overall World Cup or to win in Sapporo?
Anders Soedergren: For sure the World Championships in Sapporo. I will try to be on top at the 15 km, Pursuit and 50 km.
