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