The 2010 Tour de Ski is now half over, and the record field is rapidly dwindling in size. This is the result of the confluence of two specific factors – the rule changes allowing skiers to keep World Cup points and prize money even if they withdraw, and the fact that it is an Olympic year. This is the 4th Tour de Ski, and the first to coincide with the Olympic Games. A handful of...
Prague, Czech Republic – Natalia Korosteleva (RUS) won the fourth stage of the 2010 Tour de Ski, and her first ever World Cup race, riding a late charge in sloppy conditions in Prague. Korosteleva won an exciting final with numerous lead changes and one major crash. Slovenian Vesna Fabjan, the top qualifier, led early followed closely by Korosteleva, Aino Kaisa Saarinen (FIN) Celine Brun-Lie (NOR) and Arianna Follis (ITA). Fabjan crashed on one of the...
Prague, Czech Republic – Emil Joensson (SWE) bounced back from a crash in yesterday’s sprint that may have cost him the victory, to win the skate city sprint in downtown Prague. The 1.2 km freestyle sprint marked the 4th race in 4 days for the Tour de Ski, and the flatter, faster course clearly favored the sprinters. Petter Northug (NOR) and Axel Teichmann (GER), first and second in the overall entering the day, did not...
Andy Newell is the first American to ever race in the Tour de Ski. Through the first three events he has had an up and down time of it. Newell has only one more race in the Tour – tomorrow’s skate sprint in Prague. He will then withdraw from the Tour and focus on training for several weeks. In the first event, the 3.7km prologue, Newell finished 48th. He was in 25th at the 1.5km...
Oberhof, Germany – Eldar Roenning (NOR) won a hotly contested sprint final in the third stage of the 2010 Tour de Ski. Roenning prevailed through challenging conditions to claim his sixth career World Cup victory, and his first since 2008. The weather was far from ideal in Oberhof this afternoon, with heavy snow falling and soft tracks. These conditions combined with a long course of 1.6km, made for slow qualification times and an uncommonly spread...
Oberhof, Germany – With four skiers in the top-30, Canada is off to a good start in the 2010 Tour de Ski. Led by Devon Kershaw, who climbed up to 10th place today, the Canadians are in striking distance of the podium. Kershaw was a disappointing 37th in yesterday’s prologue, but with times packed close, he did not face much of a deficit today, starting 37 seconds down. With the field closing up quickly, he...
Oberhof, Germany – Petter Northug (NOR) held on to the lead in the 2010 Tour de Ski, edging Maxim Vylegzhanin (RUS) in a photo finish. Northug won yesterday’s prolugue by .8 seconds. With sprint bonus seconds added, he began today’s 15km classic pursuit with a six second lead on Sweden’s Marcus Hellner. Northug set a fast pace out of the start, but with 60 skiers starting within 40 seconds, gaps quickly closed, and a large...
Oberhof, Germany – Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) took over the 2010 Tour de Ski lead with a strong performance in the women’s 10km classic pursuit. Starting in 3rd, 16 seconds behind Petra Majdic (SLO), Kowalczyk quickly closed the gap. She, Majdic, and Natalia Korosteleva (RUS) formed a lead group of three that skied alone for the first four kilometers. By the 6k mark, Korosteleva had fallen off the pace, and Aino Kaisa Saarinen (FIN) was closing...
Oberhof, Germany – Petra Majdic (SLO) won the opening event of the 2010 Tour de Ski, besting Natalia Korosteleva (RUS) by 2 seconds in the 2.8km freestyle prologue. Majdic, who finished third in last year’s Tour, now leads the event. She also picked up 15 bonus seconds with her victory. The prologue is considered a sprint for the Tour sprint standings. Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) was third, +6.3 seconds. She held a two second lead at...
Oberhof, Germany – Peter Northug (NOR), starting last, yet again came from behind to win the 3.7km freestyle Tour de Ski Prologue this afternoon. Northug, the overall World Cup leader, and heavy favorite to win the Tour, ranked 31st at 1.5km, 5 seconds off the pace. But as has become the norm, he turned on the jets and just edged Swede Marcus Hellner by .8 seconds. Axel Teichmann (GER) was third, 2 seconds back, and...
Oberhof, Germany – The 2010 Tour de Ski kicks off tomorrow with the 2.5/3.75km freestyle prologue. Despite rain today, the course is in excellent shape, and organizers are expecting it to be hard and fast tomorrow. 88 men and 74 women are scheduled to start. The prologue is an interval start, and the non-traditional distance makes for interesting results. Too long to be a sprint, and shorter, by far than any distance race on the...
With the end of the World Cup period 1, and US Nationals just days away, it is time to revisit Olympic quotas. In November
At the end of the first World Cup period, Norway is clearly the top nation on the circuit. In addition to leading the Nation Cup, Norway also has the overall individual leaders for both men and women. Nation Cup The Nation Cup rankings are determined by the total World Cup points scored by a nation – both genders combined. Norway, the perennial winner, already has a lead of over 1100 points. Russia is second and...
Earlier this month, Olympic Medalist Julia Tchepalova (RUS) was spotted skiing in Davos, Switzerland during the week leading up to the World Cup events there. Tchepalova is currently prohibited from starting FIS sanctioned events due to doping violations, and a two-year ban is pending. She was seen training on the Davos trails wearing a generic uniform, very similar to the Swiss National Suit. One report had her training with the Russian Team, though this was...
Rogla, Slovenia – The US Ski Team did not have a great day on the trails today, but still managed to turn in some solid results. Andy Newell set a personal-best with a 41st in the men’s 30km classic mass start, and Kikkan Randall finished 30th in the women’s 15km event. Neither, however, were thrilled with their performances. Lars Flora was 47th, and Kris Freeman dropped out due to blood sugar issues. Solid For Newell...
Rogla, Slovenia – Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) added 125 World Cup points to her season total with a victory in the women’s 15km classic mass start this morning. Kowalczyk finished 4.6 seconds clear of Marit Bjoergen (NOR), the winner of yesterday’s sprint. Bjoergen edged out Anna Haag (SWE) in a photo finish. There were two intermediate sprints with 15,10, and 5 World Cup points awarded to the to the first three. “I did not plan to...
Rogla, Slovenia, Petter Northug (NOR) erased any doubt that he is the best all-around skier on the World Cup this season, following up his victory in yesterday’s sprint with his trademark late surge to capture the 30km Mass Start in Slovenia. Northug added to his overall World Cup lead on the 2.5km course. Racers did a total of 12 loops and bonus World Cup points were awarded every 7.5km. “I feel very happy about my...
Rogla, Slovenia – Andy Newell (USA) had his best day of the 2010 season, ripping through the qualifier and skiing to his first Finals appearance since last year. Despite fading in the homestretch, Newell ended up in 6th. Petter Northug (NOR) cemented his place as the man to beat in any discipline, taking the victory ahead of Thobias Angerer (GER). Newell won the qualifier by an impressive 2 seconds over Nikolay Chebotko (RUS), in a...
Ramsau, Austria – The US Nordic Combined team had a stellar day, placing three skiers in the top-10 and four in the top-20. The team was led by Johnny Spillane, who continues an excellent start to the season. Spillane finished 4th, battling for the top spot until the end. Teammate Todd Lodwick was just behind in 6th, Billy Demong was 9th, and Brett Camerota was a career-best 18th. Jason Lamy-Chappuis (FRA) won in exciting fashion,...
Rogla, Slovenia – Marit Bjoergen (NOR) won her first World Cup sprint since 2006, defeating Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) on a snowy day in Slovenia. Kowalczyk had the upper hand in qualification, posting the fastest time, 1.5 seconds up on Evgenia Shapovalova (RUS), and 3.5 ahead of Lina Andersen (SWE) in third. But Bjoergen, who qualified 4th, won when it counted, capturing her second sprint podium of the season. “I’m happy with my victory today,” said...
