Everyone expected World Cup leader Virpi Kuitunen of Finland to fight for a medal in today's World Championship 30km mass-start classic race, and she did not dissapoint. Kuitunen out-dueled a super-fit and fearless Kristin Stoermer Steira of Norway for the gold medal. Steira finished 6.9 seconds behind to take the silver. The two had put an enormous gap on the rest of the field, as the crowd waited over a minute to see who would win the battle for bronze.
