Grey and Renner check in after Day 2: the “mass start”pursuit, Tour format, and team spirits

George Gray led the Canadians with a 17^th place in yesterday’s prologue.  Sara Renner took 27^th in the prologue and moved up in today’s pursuit for a final finish of 21^st place.

Renner:

Today, I was slow off the start but stronger at the end. It was basically a mass start. I had six girls in my second. I feel like my shape is turning around and hopefully I can qualify tomorrow. I don’t mind the back to back racing and the traveling. The Tour de Ski is like Spring Series but without the party. The racing format keeps hotel time to the minimum and racing time to the maximum and I like that. Team spirits are good. Devon is loudly learning the guitar and Ivan is eating a lot of chocolate. George is baking bread every day in the team bread maker and Alex is has been driving us down lots of one way streets which adds some excitement.

Grey:

Yesterday was good for me and I was happy with another top twenty to add to the list.  A few more seconds could have made a big difference but that is how it is every day on the World Cup…you can count on several skiers being in the same second as you are.  Today I went for it from the gun but it was not meant to be.  I struggled in the mass panic of a 15km ‘basically mass start’.  There is much more racing to come and it is important not to dwell on the tough days but rather prepare for another good day.  The rest of the team was strong and that is what is important.