Canadian star Alex Harvey had been pondering an unorthodox plan to classic ski up the Tour de Ski's final climb, but he pulled out after a lackluster result Saturday.
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Harvey Jumps Cologna in Tour Standings, Still Two Minutes Behind Northug
Colin GaiserJanuary 8, 2015
Alex Harvey found himself in a slower group during Thursday's 25 k freestyle pursuit in Toblach, Italy, but still managed to get past Switzerland's Dario Cologna to take the sixth overall in the Tour de Ski. Canadian teammates Devon Kershaw and Ivan Babikov finished 25th and 31st, respectively.
Harvey 14th in 10 k Classic Stage, Starting Seventh in Tour’s Toblach Pursuit
Alex KochonJanuary 7, 2015
Three Canadians remain in the Tour de Ski, and in the 10 k classic on Wednesday, Alex Harvey led them in 14th -- a result he considered good, not great. Devon Kershaw placed 21st and Ivan Babikov was 32nd.
A critical mistake at the end of a quarterfinal heat prevented Canada's Alex Harvey from moving on to the semifinals of the Tour de Ski 1.4 k freestyle sprint in Val Müstair, Switzerland. Meanwhile, Simi Hamilton led the American skiers with an eighth-place finish.
Harvey Leads Canadians in Tour Prologue; USA’s Hamilton Scores First Distance Points
Colin GaiserJanuary 3, 2015
Last year, Canada's Alex Harvey won the Tour de Ski prologue. That wasn't going to happen today: "I haven’t quite found my groove in skating this year," he said, but he's still in a great position for tomorrow's 15 k pursuit. Meanwhile, Simi Hamilton of the U.S. Ski Team scored his first World Cup distance points in 26th.
Canadians were well behind the leaders in Saturday's World Cup 10/15 k freestyle in Davos, Switzerland. Ivan Babikov and Alex Harvey were the top men, finishing 34th and 38th, while Emily Nishikawa squeaked into the top 50, finishing 49th despite a crash.
Before Saturday, Canada's Alex Harvey had never cracked the top 30 in a distance race in Davos, Switzerland, and Emily Nishikawa was shooting for her first career top-30. Both checked off those markers in the men's and women's classic distance races on the first day of the Davos World Cup.
Alex Harvey skied a strong 15 k pursuit Sunday to improve his standing to tenth in the Lillehammer World Cup mini tour. Teammates Ivan Babikov and Devon Kershaw overcame low rankings to place 28th and 41st, leaving the Canadians confident but wanting more as they prepare for newt weekend's World Cup races in Davos, Switzerland.
Top Canadian, Harvey 33rd in 10 k Skate, Slips to 11th in Lillehammer Mini Tour
Alex KochonDecember 6, 2014
Rock-solid and fast conditions on the second day of the Lillehammer mini tour didn't work to the Canadians' favor, with Alex Harvey struggling with his left leg about 3 kilometers into the 10 k freestyle and Ivan Babikov feeling like he couldn't turn it into high gear.
Seven Canadians Miss Qualifying; Jones & Cockney within Tenths of a Second of Top 30
Alex KochonDecember 5, 2014
While Alex Harvey was the only Canadian to make the heats on Friday, at least two of his teammates -- Perianne Jones and Jess Cockney -- were less than a second off the mark in the World Cup skate sprint in Lillehammer.
Before the first stop on the IBU World Cup circuit continues in Östersund on Wednesday, we bring you a synopsis of last weekend's racing action and links to full reports.
Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw always want podiums, that's a given, but at this point in the season -- at the first World Cup weekend in Kuusamo, Finland -- they were pleased with top-15 results. Also on Sunday, Emily Nishikawa pulled off a career best in Europe in 38th in the women's 10 k classic.
Harvey Leads Canada with 14th in Kuusamo Sprint; Rest of Team Feels On Track to Improve
Chelsea LittleNovember 29, 2014
Alex Harvey came close to making the semifinals in the classic sprint, but like many in the field he struggled with icing klister over the top of one of the course's biggest hills. The rest of his team - Lenny Valjas, Devon Kershaw, and Perianne Jones - didn't make the heats.
The four-man Canadian World Cup Team we've come to know over the years is back at it again, and has been training for the last two weeks with four other top domestic skiers -- Perianne Jones, Emily Nishikawa, Graeme Killick, and Jesse Cockney. This week, most of the team will test its stuff with the best of them at the World Cup opener in Kuusamo, Finland.
Russians Go 1-2 in 15 k Classic; Canadians All Land in Top 8 in Gällivare Distance Race
Alex KochonNovember 23, 2014
Sunday was for the distance racers in Gällivare, Sweden, with five Canadians -- four men and one woman -- getting a chance to test their form in the 10/15 k classic races. Alex Harvey notched his second-podium performance in third, Emily Nishikawa was fourth, Devon Kershaw fifth, Ivan Babikov sixth, and Graeme Killick eighth.
Wednesday Workout: Throwback ‘Freaking Hard’ Rollerski Intervals with Kershaw
FasterSkierNovember 19, 2014
Good workouts never get old. This week, we bring back a Pro Workout of the past, which Devon Kershaw wrote almost exactly four years ago, just before leaving for Europe in early November. "A great workout this time of year – especially if you are coming off some volume (at altitude or not) and feel your body needs that lactate tolerance work to 'shock' the system," Kershaw writes.
While two Americans won Friday's Frozen Thunder sprints, Canada had its revenge on Monday, taking four of six podium spots. In the men's 10.8 k skate race, Devon Kershaw bested Kris Freeman by five seconds to take the win. In the Women's 7.2 k race, biathlete Rosanna Crawford edged Liz Stephen for the win.
With the help of U.S. Ski Team head coach Chris Grover and Canadian National Team Head Coach Justin Wadsworth, Tor-Arne Hetland and the Canadian World Cup Team ended up in Vermont last month. "Andy Newell can train here for many years … That’s the reason we are here," Hetland explained.
Kristin Størmer Steira's in the game for another season, but she's not so sure what the next four years hold -- definitely some school and not another Olympics. "I learned from my earlier mistakes saying this is my last year, but I don’t think longer than Falun ... we’ll see," she says in an exclusive interview.
Devon Kershaw's friends said he'd never make it to the summit of Mera Peak -- not without popping the question to his girlfriend Kristin Størmer-Steira first. But he didn't crack in Kathmandu, like they predicted, before their three-week climbing trek in April.