Dusseldorf, Germany – The Russian team of Nikolay Morilov and Alexei Petukhov controlled the final of the Men’s Team Sprint competition this morning. The Russians led at every exchange, and at one point opened a gap of 3.6 seconds on the field.
Petukhov, clearly in top form, won yesterday’s individual sprint with relative ease. He anchored the Russians today, outsprinting the usual loaded final. Norway took second, .8 seconds back, and Sweden II was third.
Said Morilov following the race, “It was a great race. I am happy with the results. It is always a pleasure to race here in Düsseldorf, they have a great atmosphere and I like the course. It is flat and fast.”
Conditions were very warm and rainy, with temperatures reaching 11C. The course remained firm and relatively fast. Each leg consisted of two rounds on the .8km flat loop.
The US, with Torin Koos leading, and Andy Newell anchoring, placed a strong 6th, just behind Russia II. The Americans skied in the main pack for the entire race, and were in position to challenge for the podium on the last leg.
Last year Koos and Newell teamed up for a 4th place finish in this same event. But that result was facilitated by a major crash near the end, that took out a good portion of the field. Today’s 6th is arguably a better performance.