Alex Harvey racing to 12th in the men’s freestyle sprint qualifier at the Ski Tour Canada in Quebec City. Harvey went on to place second in the final. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Sweden’s Oskar Svensson leads Alex Harvey and others during their quarterfinal at the freestyle sprint in Quebec City. Harvey went on to place second in that heat, behind Norway’s Emil Iversen (not shown) while Svensson finished sixth. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Norway’s Petter Northug leads Canada’s Alex Harvey during the second semifinal of the men’s 1.7 k freestyle sprint at the 2016 Ski Tour Canada in Quebec City. Harvey won that heat, by 0.14 seconds ahead of Northug, and Harvey went on to place second in the final while Northug was fourth overall. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Norway’s Petter Northug leads Canada’s Alex Harvey during the second semifinal of the men’s 1.7 k freestyle sprint at the Ski Tour Canada in Quebec City. Harvey won that heat, by 0.14 seconds ahead of Northug, and Harvey went on to place second in the final while Northug was fourth overall. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
The men’s freestyle sprint podium at Stage 3 of the Ski Tour Canada in Quebec City, with (from left to right), runner-up Alex Harvey of Canada, winner Baptiste Gros of France, and Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov in third. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Alex Harvey looks to his girlfriend Sophie (right, in blue) after placing second in the men’s freestyle sprint at the third stage of the Ski Tour Canada in Quebec City. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Alex Harvey hugs his girlfriend Sophie shortly after racing to second in the men’s final of the freestyle sprint at the Ski Tour Canada Stage 3 in Quebec City. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Alex Harvey fans on sprint day in Quebec City. Harvey ultimately reached the final and the podium, placing second overall. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Italy’s Federico Pellegrino became the first non-Scandinavian male to win a Sprint World Cup Crystal Globe on Friday, placing 21st in the freestyle sprint in Quebec City. (He needed to finish in the top 22 to lock up the title.) (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Baptiste Gros (France) racing to eighth in the qualifier. He went on to win the freestyle sprint final at the third stage of the Ski Tour Canada in Quebec City for his first World Cup win.(Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
France’s Baptiste Gros leads teammate Richard Jouve in their semifinal of the freestyle sprint at the Ski Tour Canada in Quebec City. They went on to place second and third, respectively, in a photo finish and both advanced to the final. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Sadie Bjornsen racing to her first qualifying victory in the freestyle sprint at Stage 3 of the Ski Tour Canada in Quebec City (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
(Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
(Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
The women’s freestyle sprint podium at the third stage of the Ski Tour Canada in Quebec City, with Swedish winner Stina Nilsson (c), Norway’s Sprint World Cup champion Maiken Caspersen Falla (l) in second and Heidi Weng (16) of Norway in third. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Sina Nilson(Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
(Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Norwegian coaches hold up Sprint World Cup overall winner Maiken Caspersen Falla on Friday in Quebec City. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Norway’s Therese Johaug in the Ski Tour Canada leader’s bib after two stages of racing. She placed 18th on Friday in the freestyle sprint in Quebec City to slip to second overall, behind teammate Heidi Weng.
(Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Norway’s Petter Northug racing to ninth in the qualifier at the third stage of the Ski Tour Canada in Quebec City. He went on to place fourth overall in the final. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
Jess Cockney racing to 29th in the freestyle sprint qualifier at Stage 3 of the Ski Tour Canada in Quebec City. (Photo: John Lazenby/Lazenbyphoto.com)
(Photo: FlyingPointRoad.com/NNF)
QUEBEC CITY — After an off-day, the Ski Tour Canada picked up again a bit farther east in Québec City with Stage 3: the men’s and women’s freestyle sprints on Friday. Hometown hero Alex Harvey came up big in front of thousands of fans, skiing in second for most of the final and challenging the frontrunner, Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov, for the win in the finishing stretch. In the end, another French-speaking skier, France’s Baptiste Gros took the victory.
“At the top of the last uphill, I was right behind Ustiugov in the best position possible,” Harvey said in a post-race press conference. “I thought I could win this one, but then Baptiste passed me on my right and surprised everyone.”
Harvey held on for second place, 0.55 seconds behind, and Ustiugov placed third (+0.79). Behind them, Norway’s Petter Northug placed fourth (+1.91), Maciej Starega of Poland took fifth (+2.12) and France’s Richard Jouve was sixth (+2.18).
“Right now, I’m in the best shape of this season,” Harvey noted at the press conference. “That was the goal.”
In the women’s final, Sweden’s Stina Nilsson fended off four Norwegians for the win, beating out Maiken Caspersen Falla by 0.11 seconds at the line. By making the semifinals, Falla achieved her season-long goal and locked up the Sprint World Cup title. Falla led the Norwegians in second place and Heidi Weng was third (+0.56) to take the lead in the overall Tour. Behind her in the sprint, fellow Norwegians Ingvild Flugstad Østberg and Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen placed fourth (+1.09) and fifth (+1.57), ahead Sweden’s Ida Ingemarsdotter in sixth (+9.43).
Four U.S. women finished in the top 20, with Sadie Bjornsen leading them in eighth, and Simi Hamilton as the top American man in eighth. Canada’s second man behind Harvey, Jess Cockney had his best race of the season by far to place 10th overall. Two other U.S. Ski Team members made the heats, with Erik Bjornsen finishing 20th overall and Andy Newell 29th.
Stay tuned for comprehensive reports on both races. For now, check out some photos from the day.
