FasterSkier grabbed a quick chat with former Norwegian national team racer Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, now working as an expert commentator for the national TV station NRK.
HomeTag
Devon Kershaw
Harvey Surprises With Second in Drammen; Joensson Wins Final Tune-Up
Nathaniel HerzFebruary 20, 2011
For Canada’s Alex Harvey, the bad news is that at next week’s World Ski Championships in Oslo, he’s not likely to improve much on his finish in his final tune-up race. The good news is why: in Sunday’s World Cup skate sprint in Drammen, Norway, he was a stunning second place, surging on the homestretch to top Olympic medalists Petter Northug (NOR) and Marcus Hellner (SWE), and falling just a few feet short of catching...
North American Men Hope for Better in Oslo
Topher SabotFebruary 19, 2011
Last year the Canadian men proved that performance a week before a major championship event is meaningless as a predictor. The hope is that that is the case this time around, as well. Both the Canadians and Americans did not impress in their final distance tune-up prior to this year’s World Championships – but the general consensus was that there was little to be concerned about. Devon Kershaw led all North American finishers in 26th...
Drammen World Cup, Gateway to Oslo, Starts Saturday
Nathaniel HerzFebruary 18, 2011
A World Cup race in Norway is always a big deal, but with the start of World Championships less than seven days away, this weekend’s two-race stop in Drammen serves as both a tune-up, and an indicator of who will be contending for medals in Oslo. FasterSkier arrived in Oslo on Friday morning, and will be reporting live from the event! With many skiers skipping the Rybinsk World Cups two weeks ago, it has been...
The Canadians will field an experienced 11-person roster for the World Championships in Oslo, Norway at the end of February, and all 11 will also ski the World Cup in Drammen, Norway, the week before. The roster is almost identical to the Olympic roster from last year – 9 of the 11 skiers competed in Vancouver, and all 11 have at least one World Cup start. According to Cross Country Canada (CCC)’s selection criteria, the...
Harvey on His Tour: “I Don’t Feel Like I’m Peaked”
Nathaniel HerzJanuary 18, 2011
Alex Harvey turned heads at the 2011 edition of the Tour de Ski, capping off four top-10 finishes with 10th place overall. But the 22-year-old Canadian insists that the best is still to come, later this season. “I feel really good, but I don’t feel like I’m peaked,” he said, in an interview on his way home from the Tour. “The plan was never to be in the best shape here.” Harvey’s strong results in...
Canadian 2011 World Championship Teams Announced
Ben TheyerlJanuary 16, 2011
January 14, 2011 – Cross Country Canada is pleased to announce the World Senior Championship Team 2011 – selection synopsis to follow. The following athletes have been selected to the 2011 World Championships Team competing in Oslo, Norway from Feb.22-March 6. – Devon Kershaw (Ona-Wa-Su/NST) – Alex Harvey (Club Nordique M.S.A/NST) – Dasha Gaiazova (Rocky Mountain Racers/NST) – Chandra Crawford (Canmore Nordic/NST) – Stefan Kuhn (Canmore Nordic/NST) – Perianne Jones (Nakkertok/NST) – Ivan Babikov (Foothills...
Two lines of burly men, attired in identical red and white shirts, each carrying a massive cow bell that reached from waist to ground, marched in synch up the trail. They stopped in unison, and then with less then perfect acumen settled their bells and cheered. Behind came a larger crowd, carrying massive banners and countless flags. The Dario Cologna fan club was out in force, and the parade up the final 100 meters of...
One stage, the renowned final climb up the Alpe Cermis, remains in the 2011 Tour de Ski. Devon Kershaw sits in fourth, just 5.5 seconds off the podium, while teammate Alex Harvey is another 5.3 seconds back in seventh. In previous years, Kershaw’s Tour has been defined by one main factor – illness. He has always excelled in the multi-stage event, and his ability to race with the best in any discipline over any distance...
Petter Northug (NOR) did everything he could, but even a “late birthday present” from rival Dario Cologna (SUI) was not enough to get the Norwegian within striking distance of the overall Tour lead. On a warm day, starting with drizzle, and shifting to sun, Northug displayed the top form he has been struggling to find all season in the penultimate stage of the 2011 Tour de Ski. In winning the 20km classic mass start event,...
Cologna Holds Edge in Tour Stage Win, Harvey 5th
Topher SabotJanuary 6, 2011
Dario Cologna (SUI) may not have had time to enjoy the scenery, but his efficient performance left little room for excitement at the front of the men’s 35 kilometer freestyle handicap start, leaving the setting the most interesting part of the day. The sixth stage of the 2011 Tour de Ski wound its way from Cortina to Toblach, climbing for the first 16 k before a long gradual descent to the stadium, and a final...
If you still had any doubts about Canadian Devon Kershaw’s ability to ski with the best in the world, they should now be put to rest. In a talent-packed final in the 1.4 k skate sprint during Stage 5 of the Tour de Ski, Kershaw not only skied with fastest men on the circuit, but blew them away on route to the stage victory, the first of his career. “I’m more than happy,” said Kershaw...
In Monday’s 20 k pursuit, in Oberhof, Germany, instead of Petter Northug (NOR) turing heads with an impressive sprint finish, it was Finland’s Matti Heikkinen who displayed remarkable finishing speed to secure victory in the fifth stage of the 2011 Tour de Ski. The Finn, who has had difficulty on the World Cup so far this season, put on a massive attack on the final steep uphill, surprising the field. Heikkinen had been very quiet...
The Tour de Ski is a hellishly difficult event for the teams that take part. Ten days, eight races, and five different venues in two countries make for a schedule that often results in massive fatigue, illness, and injury. However, the Canadian National Ski Team (CNST) has come up with an innovative way to deal with those demands – this year, the Canucks have equipped themselves with a huge tour bus. Emblazoned with the Cross...
Devon Kershaw (CAN) thought he had his first World Cup victory. His powerful move over the top of the last climb paid off, and he came screaming down into the stadium with a gap on none other than defending Sprint Cup champion Emil Joensson (SWE) and former overall World Cup champion Dario Cologna (SUI). But Joensson, perhaps the best pure sprinter in the world, can never be counted out. The Swede came charging back, and...
For Canada’s Devon Kershaw, the biggest moment in Saturday’s classic pursuit in Oberhof, Germany, came not on the homestretch, but with four kilometers left in the 15-kilometer race—the second stage of the 2011 Tour de Ski. After working his way up through the field, Kershaw found himself at the front of the race, with Switzerland’s Dario Cologna and a few other skiers on the attack. But rather than charging ahead, the 28-year-old Kershaw did something...
Marcus Hellner (SWE) has ended 2010 on the top step of the podium. The Swede used his powerful skating to capture the stage victory in the 3.75 k prologue in Oberhof, Germany, on the opening day of the 2010-2011 Tour de Ski. Hellner beat out Alexei Petukhov (RUS) by 2 seconds for the win over the short distance. While Petukhov has never competed in the Tour before, he is no slouch – the Russian is...
The 2010/2011 Veissmann Tour de Ski is nothing if not draining. Consisting of eight events in ten days in two countries, the fifth edition begins December 31st and runs until January 9th. The Tour begins with a freestyle prologue in Oberhof, Germany, on December 31st, followed by a classic pursuit start on January 1st. The Tour then moves to Oberstorf, Germany, for a sprint on January 2nd, and a pursuit on the 3rd. After a...