2018 Tour de Ski – FasterSkier.com

World Cup Preview: #6 Switzerland

FasterSkierNovember 13, 2018

Welcome to FasterSkier’s World Cup Preview, where we check in with the top-10 teams from last year’s FIS Cross Country World Cup tour before the season starts with the Ruka weekend in Kuusamo, Finland, on Nov. 24 with a classic sprint. *** Switzerland Overall in Nations Cup Last Year: 6th Women’s Ranking 2017/2018: 7th Men’s Ranking 2017/2018: 4th However lopsided Switzerland World Cup profile appears – think Dario Cologna prime time all the time – the team...

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Opening Acts in PyeongChang: USST Press Conference and Catching Up with Sargent

Jason AlbertFebruary 8, 2018

FasterSkier would like to thank Fischer Sport USA, Concept2, Sophie Caldwell in the freestyle sprint, weather events so everything was a little more energy intensive and a little hectic. I came in with a lot more training than I have in the past, I trained a little harder during Period 1 in hope to be sharp for the Olympics, and I think I didn’t respect that as much as should have and was a little tired afterwards. And also...

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Sunday Rundown: U.S. Nationals; Tour de Ski Finale; Oberhof Relays

FasterSkierJanuary 7, 2018

U.S. Cross Country Championships (Anchorage, Alaska): 20/30 k classic mass starts Women’s report Sweden’s Hedda Bångman denied Caitlin Patterson of her first outright victory of the week at 2018 U.S. Cross Country Championships, but Patterson as the first American racked up her third-straight national title in the women’s 20-kilometer classic mass start at Kincaid Park on Sunday in Anchorage, Alaska. Bångman, a 22-year-old freshman at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU), pulled off a 15.9-second...

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Cologna Wins Tour de Ski; Harvey Solves the Alpe Cermis for Third Overall

Jason AlbertJanuary 7, 2018

The 2018 Tour de Ski is a wrap. On Sunday in Val di Fiemme, Italy, the final Stage 7 hill climb was a mirage of sorts as Switzerland’s Dario Cologna soloed in for his fourth overall Tour de Ski (TdS) victory. The stage, a 9-kilometer freestyle pursuit “final climb” ascends an alpine ski-area slope for the final three k’s as it climbs 425 meters from race start to finish. Not once did the 31-year-old Cologna...

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Weng Wins Stage 6; Diggins 4th, Bjornsen 10th in Classic Mass Start

Jason AlbertJanuary 6, 2018

After the Tour de Ski’s previous dance with earth, wind and rain and the subsequent cancellation of the Stage 4 classic sprint followed by a Last year, Weng began the hill climb in second overall, 20 seconds behind Sweden’s Stina Nilsson. But more importantly in that 2017 race, Weng started 1:04 minutes ahead of Østberg in fourth. Nine k and 425 meters of climbing later, Weng took the win — she gained time on Østberg,...

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Saturday Rundown: Val di Fiemme Stage 6 and Oberhof Pursuits

FasterSkierJanuary 6, 2018

IBU World Cup (Oberhof): Women’s and men’s pursuits told the IBU after. “My shape is very good now but I was worried if I could concentrate on the shooting … After the first shooting, I was relaxed and realized it was OK. I just gave the other girls two chances … I must apologize for my emotion [on the shooting range], but I was so happy and enjoyed the last loop.” Wierer finished 1:04.4 minutes...

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Østberg Wins Oberstdorf Tour de Ski Mass Start; Weng Stumbles

Harald ZimmerJanuary 4, 2018

(Note: This article has been updated to include comments from U.S. Ski Team Women’s Coach Matt Whitcomb.) OBERSTDORF, Germany — After a severe storm had led to the Stage 5 women’s results |

General News Racing Tour de Ski US Ski Team World Cup

Iversen Wins TdS Stage 5 ‘Pack Race’; Harvey Fifth to Retain Fourth Overall

Alex KochonJanuary 4, 2018

Like ants swarming a bread crumb — skating ants — on ice. That was one image that could be conceived from the men’s 15-kilometer freestyle mass start on Thursday, which served as Stage 5 of the 2018 Tour de Ski in Obertsdorf, Germany. Aftercancellation of Stage 4 after the women’s qualifier — so organizers opted to salt the course to preserve it as much as possible for the mass starts. It was raining again on...

News Racing Tour de Ski World Cup

Thursday Rundown: Iversen, Østberg Prevail in Jam-Packed Oberstdorf Mass Starts

FasterSkierJanuary 4, 2018

Tour de Ski Stage 5 (Oberstdorf, Germany): 10/15 k freestyle mass starts Women’s report In one of the more unconventional stages of the Tour de Ski — a rainy, seven-lap, 14.7-kilometer men’s freestyle mass start, and a five-lap, 10.5 k women’s mass start (both of which were adapted to a shorter course afterMen’s Stage 5 | Women’s Stage 5 |

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Oberstdorf Sprint Canceled Due to Storm; Diggins Second in Qualifying Round Most Deemed Unsafe

Harald ZimmerJanuary 3, 2018

OBERSTDORF, Germany — On Wednesday, a storm big enough to earn a name from meteorological agencies, “Burglind” provided unexpected obstacles to the World Cup cross-country ski field. With some gusts of wind approaching hurricane speeds, the women’s and men’s sprint courses became potentially dangerous — and they are already difficult to ski under regular conditions. Trees fell on a warmup track and a section initially intended for the men’s sprint. Blown-over ad banners and gates...

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‘It Was Like Hell Today’: Østberg on Keeping the Red Bib; Diggins Up to 3rd in TdS Stage 3

Alex KochonJanuary 1, 2018

Not one of the last three days in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, were alike, with three different American women standing on the coveted podium and three vastly different conditions for the first three stages of the 2018 Tour de Ski. Technically, it wasn’t 2018 until today — with Jessie Diggins racing to third in the women’s 10-kilometer freestyle pursuit on Monday, the first day of the new year and her first podium of the season. She did...

News Racing Tour de Ski

Cologna in Control with TdS Pursuit Win; Harvey 4th, Bjornsen 22nd

Jason AlbertJanuary 1, 2018

The Tour de Ski (TdS) theater was treated to a solo-skier drama during the Stage 3 men’s 15-kilometer freestyle pursuit on Monday in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. On New Year’s Day, it was a homegrown skier, Switzerland’s Dario Cologna, who stole the show winning the race in 34:56.6 minutes. Cologna is a three-time Tour de Ski winner, who until Harvey showed he’s a master of gamesmanship and crushing sprint efforts after a distance effort. Sometimes leading, sometimes...

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Tour de Ski Rundown: Diggins 3rd; Harvey 4th; Østberg and Cologna Tally Win No. 2

FasterSkierJanuary 1, 2018

Tour de Ski Stage 3 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland): 10/15 freestyle pursuits Men’s report In the first three stages of the Tour de Ski (TdS), three different American women have reached the podium. Jessie Diggins became the latest in Monday’s New Year’s Day 10-kilometer freestyle pursuit in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. Heading into Stage 3, the last one in Switzerland before the Tour moves to Oberstdorf, Germany, Diggins ranked third overall in the TdS. She started the men’s 15...

News Racing Tour de Ski World Cup

Cologna is Back with a TdS Stage Win; Harvey 20th, Bjornsen 27th

Jason AlbertDecember 31, 2017

Tick-tock. An appropriate intro in a place like Switzerland — a nation and culture known for accurate timepieces and punctuality. Depending on how you look at it, for 31-year-old Swiss skier Dario Cologna, one of two things has been on-the-dot: his three year slide in results since winning the 2014/2015 World Cup overall and his battle with both injuries and an ascendant Martin Johnsrud Sundby; Or his rejuvenated Lenzerheide, Switzerland Tour de Ski (TdS) Stage...

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Tour de Ski Rundown: Sadie Bjornsen 3rd; Østberg Posts 25-Second Win; Cologna Wins at Home

FasterSkierDecember 31, 2017

Tour de Ski Stage 2 (Lenzerheide, Switzerland): 10/15 classic Men’s report For the second-straight day of the Tour de Ski, an American landed on the podium, with Sadie Bjornsen placing third in the women’s 10-kilometer classic individual start on Sunday in Lenzerheide. For Bjornsen, it was her third individual podium of the season and first in a race longer than 5 k. She finished behind two Norwegians, Ingvild Flugstad Østberg, who took the win in...

Canadian National Ski Team News Racing US Ski Team World Cup

Tour de Ski Rundown: Caldwell 2nd on Day 1; Van der Graaff and Ustiugov on Top

FasterSkierDecember 30, 2017

FIS Cross-Country Tour de Ski (Lenzerheide, Switzerland): Stage 1 freestyle sprint Men’s report Sophie Caldwell is back on the podium. It’s been two years since the 27-year-old U.S. Ski Team sprinter won an individual World Cup race and

General Racing Tour de Ski World Cup

Eve of the 2018 Tour de Ski: 7 Races, 9 Days, 3 Countries

FasterSkierDecember 29, 2017

FIS and FS reporting) Stage 1 start lists: Men Austria Women Teresa Stadlober Anna Seebacher Lisa Unterweger Men Dominik Baldauf Max Hauke Bernhard Tritscher Finland Women Mari Laukkanen Laura Mononen Kerttu Niskanen Krista Pärmäkoski Aino-Kaisa Saarinen Anne Kyllönen Men Iivo Niskanen Ristomatti Hakola Martti Jylhä Kusti Kittilä Ari Luusua Antti Ojansivu Canada Men Alex Harvey Devon Kershaw France Men Maurice Manificat Jean-Marc Gaillard Adrien Backscheider Clément Parisse Lucas Chanavat Baptiste Gros Alexis...