CANMORE, Alberta — Stage 6 of the Ski Tour Canada featured a brutal course for both the women’s 15-kilometer and the men’s 30 k skiathlons. It was simply survival of the fittest as the classic loop featured a grueling 1.2 k climb while the skate leg was punctuated by dicey soft-snow corners navigated at high speed.
The women’s race became a showdown between second place overall in the Ski Tour Canada, Norwegian Therese Johaug and Tour leader Heidi Weng, also from Norway. Weng took the win.
In the men’s race, Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby played at times a cool follower and at others an aggressive pace setter. Sunday won the day and jumped to third overall Ski Tour Canada’s standings.
Therese Johaug and Norwegian teammate Heidi Weng during the women’s 15 k skiathlon in Canmore, Alberta. The competition was part of the Ski Tour Canada, one of many World Cup events Johaug won last season. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Chelsea Holmes (APU) during the women’s 15 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
American Chelsea Holmes leads Canadians Emily Nishikawa (42) and Cendrine Browne, and Hanna Falk of Sweden, during the women’s 15 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Katharine Ogden racing in her first World Cup events during the Tour de Canada in 2016, pictured here in the women’s 15 k skiathlon in Camore, Alberta (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Canada’s Katherine Stewart-Jones during the women’s 15 k skiathlon in Canmore, Alberta, last season. (Photo:Fischer/NordicFocus)
Canadians Dahria Beatty (l) and Olivia Bouffard-Nesbitt (r) during the women’s 15 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Norwegians Heidi Weng and Therese Johaug, (l-r) during the women’s 15 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo:Fischer/NordicFocus)
Norwegians Therese Johaug and Heidi Weng, (l-r) during the 2016 women’s 15 k skiathlon in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Norway’s Therese Johaug, Heidi Weng, and Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen, (l-r) on the podium at the women’s 15 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
The start of the men’s 30 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Canada’s Alex Harvey (5) and Ivan Babikov (34) lead Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby (yellow bib) during the men’s 30 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo:Fischer/NordicFocus)
(From left to right) Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Finland’s Matti Heikkinen, Norway’s Niklas Dyrhaug and Didrik Tønseth, and Canada’s Alex Harvey leading the pack during the men’s 30 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov, Norway’s Finn Hågen Krogh, and Canada’s Alex Harvey, (l-r) during the men’s 30 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
(From left to right): Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov in second, Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby in first, and Finland’s Matti Heikkinenin third after the men’s 30 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Lenny Valjas of Cananda during the men’s 30 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Graeme Killick of Canada during the men’s 30 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Knute Johnsgaard of Cananda during the men’s 30 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Alex Harvey of Cananda before the start of the men’s 30 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov, (l-r) during the men’s 30 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Canadians Graeme Killick , Devon Kershaw, and Alex Harvey, (l-r) during the men’s 30 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Norway’s Eirik Brandsdal, Canada’s Lenny Valjas, (l-r) during the men’s 30 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Norwegians Hans Christer Holund, Finn Haagen Krogh, Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Petter Northug, Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov, (l-r) during the men’s 30 k skiathlon on Wednesday in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
Kikkan Randall (U.S. Ski Team) watching the Wednesday’s skiathlon races at the Ski Tour Canada in Canmore, Alberta. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
