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.
Gabriela Soukalova (CZE) and Marie Laure Brunet (FRA).
Megan Imrie (CAN).
Veronika Vitkova (CZE) and Krystyna Palka (POL).
Lars Berger (NOR) hits the first climb still in the lead.
spectators watch as Selina Gasparin (SUI) and Veronika Vitkova (CZE) approach.
Elise Ringen (NOR).
Irina Starykh racing in Hochfilzen, Austria, last December, is one of three Russian biathletes caught using EPO since December 2013.
Anton Shipulin (RUS) leads a pack.
Teja Gregorin (SLO), Franziska Preuss (GER), and Jana Gerekova (SVK).
Juliya Dzhyma (UKR).
Brendan Green (CAN, middle) on lap one.
Hometown spectators brought an Austrian flag.
Simon Hallenbarter (SUI) and Bjorn Ferry (SWE).
Zina Kocher (CAN).
The women’s field hits a downhill.
The men’s field heads towards the big climb.
Simon Schempp (GER).
spectators at the top of the course.
Martin Fourcade (FRA) takes a bow.
Vita and Valj Semerenko (UKR) with Olga Zaitseva (RUS).
Checking out the views.
Christoph Sumann (AUT).
Gabriela Soukalova (CZE).
Dominik Landertinger (AUT), Ondrej Moravec (CZE), and Brendan Green (CAN).
Anastasiya Kuzmina (SVK).
Martin Fourcade (FRA) enters the range the final time, nonchalant.
Andrejs Rastorgujevs (LAT).
Selina Gasparin (SUI) and Veronika Vitkova (CZE) on their first loop, still in the lead.
Martin Fourcade (FRA).
The top four finishers from the women’s sprint attack one of the first hills on the course.
JP Le Guellec (CAN) leads Dominik Windisch (ITA) out of the range.
Tora Berger (NOR).
Megan Imrie (CAN).
Team staff wait for racers to arrive on the range.
Lars Berger (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.
Selina Gasparin (SUI), Veronika Vitkova (CZE), and Irina Starykh (RUS) shooting in the second stage.
Daniel Mesotitsch (AUT), Fredrik Lindstrom (SWE), and Jakov Fak (SLO).
Lars Berger (NOR) leads teammate Emil Hegle Svendsen.
A group of men chase early-race leader Lars Berger of Norway.
Tim Burke (USA) and Andrejs Rastorgujevs (LAT).
Synnove Solemdal (NOR) and Juliya Dzhyma (UKR), eventual 1-2 finishers.
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")
