Jesse Vaeaenaenen sure is a mouthful of a name. Apparently he’s a lot to handle in a classic sprint, too. In Otepaa, Estonia today, Vaeaenaenen (FIN) edged Andy Newell in their quarterfinal by a tiny margin, relegating the American to third place in the heat and ending his day. While it was an unexpected early departure from the rounds for Newell, he wrote in an e-mail that the race didn’t leave him too disappointed. His...
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Otepää, Estonia – Lukas Buaer (CZE), fresh off his second Tour de Ski title, won the men’s 15km individual start classic in Otepää this morning. Bauer skied to a 17 second victory over classic distance specialist, and hometown hero, Andrus Veerpalu (EST). Another Estonian, Jaak Mae, finished 3rd, +41.6. The field was relatively small and weak – with many skiers resting after the Tour and preparing for the Olympics. But that does not diminish Bauer’s...
Otepää, Estonia – Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) showed no signs of fatigue after winning the Tour de Ski, edging a fresh Marit Bjoergen (NOR) by 4.2 seconds in the 10km individual classic this morning. Kowalczyk led at every time check and held off a hard-charging Bjoergen. Aino Kaisa Saarinen (FIN) claimed 3rd, just under 30 seconds back. Bjoergen skipped the Tour de Ski to focus on the Olympics, and is still in good form – but...
Andy Newell is the only American skier who is racing the XC World Cup this weekend. Conditions are excellent – “the best ever here with a lot of snow and good consistent cold temps (-10C), according to US Ski Team Coach Justin Wadsworth. “The tracks are super hard and fast, and grip is no issue.” Wadsworth predicts some intense racing with a number of skiers vying for final Olympic spots. The Norwegian sprinters will...
The 2010 Tour de Ski concluded on Sunday with the famed Final Climb. Lukas Bauer (CZE) and Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) skied to victory in the 4th edition. The men’s race lacked some of the expected drama at the top. While the race set up perfectly, with Petter Northug (NOR) and Bauer starting just eight seconds apart, but Northug looked tired from the start and was no match for for the 2008 winner. The race for...
Used to being on the podium in previous years, Billy Demong started this season fairly slowly by his standards, placing between 8th and 14th in his World Cup finishes. But this Sunday’s World Cup in Val di Fiemme
Val di Fiemme, Italy – Lukas Bauer (CZE) became the first man to win two Tour de Ski titles, skiing away from Peter Northug (NOR) on the Final Climb for a clear victory. Entering the day, the big question was what strength would win out – Bauer’s hill climbing ability, or Northug’s determination and finishing ability. At the press conference following yesterday’s mass start each man selected the other as the favorite. But Northug was...
Val di Fiemme, Italy – Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) staged a come from behind win to win her first Tour de Ski. the defending overall World Cup champion overtook Petra Majdic (SLO) and skied away with 800 meters to go. Kowalczyk started 34 seconds behind Majdic, a gap created by Majdic’s fine performance in yesterday’s mass start. The Pole slowly closed over the first 6.5 kilometers, and one kilometer later she was on Majdic’s tails. Looking...
VAL DI FIEMME, Ita.—Canada’s Ivan Babikov nearly defended his title as the King of the Mountain when he finished fourth in the final and toughest stage of the 10-day Tour de Ski – a 10-kilometre pursuit race up a mountain in Val de Fiemme, Italy on Sunday. In one of the most difficult races on a cross-country skier’s schedule that begins in the stadium with six kilometres of classic skiing, the final march to the...
The following athletes have qualified to start the Canmore, Alberta World Cups February 5-6, 2010. The USSA SuperTour discipline lists were used to determine the team based on events this season in West Yellowstone, Bozeman, and Anchorage. Distance – February 5th: Women: Kikkan Randall, USST/APU; Holly Brooks, APU; Caitlin Compton, Go! Training; Laura Valaas, APU; Rebecca Dussault, CXC Vertical Limit; Nicole Deyong, SVSEF; Liz Stephen, USST/BMA; Kristina Trygstad-Saari, BSF; Morgan Arritola, USST/SVSEF; Rosie Brennan, Dartmouth...
Val di Fiemme, Italy – Petra Majdic (SLO) won a tightly packed 10km mass start classic in the 7th stage of the 2010 Tour de Ski. The short format led to thirty skiers finishing within 30 seconds. Eleven of the first 12 places were decided by the photo finish camera. And at the end of it all, Majdic was atop the podium, 45 bonus seconds in hand, and the overall Tour lead. She outsprinted Elena...
Val di Fiemme, Italy – Lukas Bauer (CZE), the 2008 Tour de Ski Winner, skied away from the field to win the 20km Mass Start on the second-to-last day of the 2010 edition. Bauer and Norwegian Petter Northug (NOR) broke away at 8 kilometers, and Bauer never looked back. Northug held on to second, after getting caught by the chase pack with 200 meters to go. Axel Teichmann (GER) took third. Action Starts Early With...
At 21 years of age, Canada’s Alex Harvey is keeping pace with the world’s fastest nordic skiers. After steadily creeping up the results since the beginning of the season, today he blazed to a 9th place finish in the 10km classic, stage 6 of the Tour de Ski. What went well in today’s race that allowed for such a great result? Today’s race was my best ever result in a distance individual start so I am super pumped! I...
Internet has been a sketchy operation (in Prague, and in Dobbiaco/Toblach), and I haven’t been able to connect until this evening here in Val Di Fiemme (which is a bit of a shocker since internet in Italy is as likely as spotting, and photographing Big Foot). I’ll break it down into the 3 stages I’ve neglected to update on: Stage 3 – 1.6km Classic Sprint, Oberhof GERMANY Not a lot to report on here. I...
Toblach, Italy – Devon Kershaw (CAN) was foiled once again in his quest for the Tour de Ski podium. Kershaw, who has raced every Tour since the inception of the event, has been waylaid by illness every year. This year was going to be different, and until today, it had been. But Kershaw can’t seem to buy an ounce of luck. Skiing well in a solid 8th place with just 2.8 kilomters to go, Kershaw...
Toblach, Italy – Daniel Rickardsson (SWE) skied to a narrow 1.7 second victory over Lukas Bauer (CZE) in the men’s 10km classic as the 2010 Tour de Ski continued in Italy. Rickardsson, who had never finished on the World Cup podium, battled with Bauer for the entire race. The pair held the top two positions at every intermediate time check. Rickardsson held the advantage, starting 30 seconds in back of Bauer, enabling him to get...
Toblach, Italy – Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) took back the red Tour de Ski leader’s bib with a 11.6 second victory over Aino Kaisa Saarinen (FIN) in the 5km classic individual start. Petra Majdic (SLO) was 3rd, 14.8 seconds behind Kowalczyk, and is second in the overall standings. Kowalczyk, a strong classic skier, and even better climber, had plenty of speed on the 5km course, a distance only contested on the World CUp circuit in the...
Toblach, Italy – Arianna Follis (ITA) thrilled the home crowd, winning today’s 16km point-to-point freestyle pursuit, and taking over the 2010 Tour de Ski Lead. Follis edged Petra Majdic (SLO) and Justyna Kowalczyk (POL), pulling away in the last 400 meters. The three women worked together early to reel in leader Aino Kaisa Saarinen (FIN), who started 25 seconds ahead. They not only caught her, but were able to leave her behind. Saarinen finished 4th,...