Germans Tour de Ski Organizers Accused of Cheating

FasterSkier · January 5, 2007

Tobias Angerer and the Germans are in the middle of a controvery after the local Tour de Ski Organizers in Oberstdorf skied in the tracks for them when it started snowing hard.

There were three Germans on top of the podium after Wednesday’s 15-kilometer individual start classic race in Tour de Ski, and that made French skier Vincent Vittoz angry.

Vittoz claimed after the race that the Organizers plowed the tracks for Angerer and the other Germans when it was snowing hard, so that they got better glide.

Angerer disagrees with the accusations, and claims that he didn’t see anyone in front of him in the tracks.

The Technical Delegate, Vegard Ulvang, confirms that the plowing happened, but that the Germans won’t be punished or penalized since it wasn’t their fault.

– We discussed the incident in the jury, and it’s a very serious case. But we can’t punish Angerer since he is innocent, and the German team didn’t do anything wrong either. It’s the organizers that did something wrong here. We are issuing an apology on behalf of FIS. That’s the only thing we can do, said Vegard Ulvang to VG Nett.

Petter Northug started late, and felt the effects of the snowstorm (early starting skiers had an advantage since it didn’t snow at that point). He doesn’t like what he is hearing about the help Angerer got.

– That’s bad. Ridiculous, said Northug to NTB.

Source: Langrenn.com