The first sunny day of this past weekend’s three-day race series in Hochfilzen, Austria, came at the very end – the women’s and men’s 10 and 12.5 k pursuits. It was an exciting day of racing, but spectators were also simply thrilled to be out in the warm sun with great views of the Tirolian Alps. Here are some snaps from the day.
Teja Gregorin (SLO), Franziska Preuss (GER), and Jana Gerekova (SVK).
spectators at the top of the course.
A group of men chase early-race leader Lars Berger of Norway.
Lars Berger (NOR) hits the first climb still in the lead.
JP Le Guellec (CAN) leads Dominik Windisch (ITA) out of the range.
Martin Fourcade (FRA).
Lars Berger (NOR) leads teammate Emil Hegle Svendsen.
Megan Imrie (CAN).
Coaches at the top of the course’s biggest climb.
Dominik Landertinger (AUT), Ondrej Moravec (CZE), and Brendan Green (CAN).
Anton Shipulin (RUS) leads a pack.
Zina Kocher (CAN).
Men snake their way uphill.
Irina Starykh racing in Hochfilzen, Austria, last December, is one of three Russian biathletes caught using EPO since December 2013.
Gabriela Soukalova (CZE) and Marie Laure Brunet (FRA).
Christoph Sumann (AUT).
Brendan Green (CAN, middle) on lap one.
Selina Gasparin (SUI), Veronika Vitkova (CZE), and Irina Starykh (RUS) shooting in the second stage.
Veronika Vitkova (CZE) and Krystyna Palka (POL).
Hometown spectators brought an Austrian flag.
Selina Gasparin (SUI) and Veronika Vitkova (CZE) on their first loop, still in the lead.
Anastasiya Kuzmina (SVK).
The women’s field hits a downhill.
spectators watch as Selina Gasparin (SUI) and Veronika Vitkova (CZE) approach.
The top four finishers from the women’s sprint attack one of the first hills on the course.
Synnove Solemdal (NOR) and Juliya Dzhyma (UKR), eventual 1-2 finishers.
Lars Berger (NOR).
The men’s field heads towards the big climb.
Martin Fourcade (FRA) enters the range the final time, nonchalant.
Juliya Dzhyma (UKR).
Team staff wait for racers to arrive on the range.
Checking out the views.
Vita and Valj Semerenko (UKR) with Olga Zaitseva (RUS).
Megan Imrie (CAN).
Gabriela Soukalova (CZE).
Martin Fourcade (FRA) takes a bow.
Simon Hallenbarter (SUI) and Bjorn Ferry (SWE).
Selina Gasparin (SUI) and Veronika Vitkova (CZE).
Simon Schempp (GER).
Elise Ringen (NOR).
Martin Fourcade (FRA) racing earlier this season in Hochfilzen, Austria. Today he turned in a strong anchor performance to help the French men to a World Cup relay win.
Daniel Mesotitsch (AUT), Fredrik Lindstrom (SWE), and Jakov Fak (SLO).
Chelsea Little is FasterSkier's Editor-At-Large. A former racer at Ford Sayre, Dartmouth College and the Craftsbury Green Racing Project, she is a PhD candidate in aquatic ecology in the @Altermatt_lab at Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology in Zurich, Switzerland. You can follow her on twitter @ChelskiLittle.
![Checking out the views.](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/12/view-from-the-top.jpg")
