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