Sundby Holds Off Russian Assault for Ruka Triple Victory
Topher SabotDecember 1, 2013
Martin Johnsrud Sundby held off Russians Maxim Vylegzhanin and Alexander Legkov in the homestretch to claim victory in the Ruka Triple mini-tour.
HomeTag
Maxim Vylegzhanin
Petter Northug, Jr., joined rare company on Sunday in becoming the second Norwegian in history to win more than one overall World Cup crystal globe. He kept Alexander Legkov and Dario Cologna at bay with his victory in the 15 k pursuit at World Cup Finals to finish off a memorable season in Falun, Sweden.
The typical plot line never materialized. Norway's Petter Northug was supposed to spend the first several laps back in 25th and then surge to the front for the victory in the final 100 meters at World Cup Finals in Sweden. Instead, Northug's teammate Eldar Rønning salvaged a tough season with a surprise 15-kilometer classic mass start victory, posting a time of 43:26 minutes on the 2015 World Championships course.
Dario Cologna remained cool and collected throughout Saturday's eight-lap 30 k skiathlon in Val di FIemme, letting others charge when they wanted to and putting his head down when it counted for his first World Championships gold.
Russia Annihilates in Sochi Team Sprint
Audrey ManganFebruary 3, 2013
Has a team sprint ever been won by a difference of 18 seconds? If so, Dmitriy Japarov and Maxim Vylegzhanin erased all memory of it on Sunday in taking the Sochi team sprint win by exactly that much. The field was stunned — Sweden took second and Germany was third.
Not This Tour, Dario: After Four Men Battle for 35 K, Northug Emerges to Win Finishing Sprint
Chelsea LittleJanuary 3, 2013
The days when Switzerland's Dario Cologna won Tour after Tour seemingly effortlessly have come to an end. Cologna still has a shot, but after Petter Northug of Norway defeated Cologna and Russians Alexander Legkov and Maxim Vylegzhanin in a sprint finish in stage four, he'll have to work a little harder. After today's showing Northug, meanwhile, is confident that the title is his.
Three Russians worked together to swallow Sunday's pursuit leader, Petter Northug, in the second stage of the Tour de Ski. Maxim Vylegzhanin and Alexander Legkov held the pace and secured a 1-2 finish while Northug settled for third.
Not This Time: Northug Edges Russian in Kuusamo Finale
Alex KochonDecember 2, 2012
Petter Northug skied his own race and hung on for dear life at the finish to edge a Russian for the first time in this weekend's Ruka Triple and defend his overall title from Kuusamo last year.
All 2012 FIS World Cup Finals coverage is brought to you through the generous support of reportedly withdrawing due to a continuing stomach ailment, there may not be much of a fight. Harvey is aiming to hold in the top-6 and is facing stiff competition from Russian Maxim Vylegzhanin. Both Newell and Randall are looking forward to a festive day. “It’s always a great atmosphere being so close to the downtown of a major city, especially...
As a classic specialist, Eldar Roenning (NOR) can oftentimes be overlooked when contemplating race favorites. The stocky Norwegian does not race the World Cup regularly, generally only hitting the events that play to his strengths in the traditional style of skiing, but he reached the top of the ski world on Saturday when he took the victory in the famed Holmenkollen 50k, defeating World Cup leader Dario Cologna in a mad sprint to the line....
Northug Makes Usual Play to take Relay Victory for Norway
Topher SabotFebruary 12, 2012
He may have failed in his attempt to win the Tour de Ski, couldn’t hang in the Marcialonga, and on Saturday, never factored into the 30k, placing 14th. But if there is one thing that Petter Northug can be counted on for, it is sprinting at the end of a mass start event. The men’s 4x10k relay was replete with attacks, counters, epic comebacks, and painful fades, but throughout it all it was hard to...
After a two month hiatus from World Cup racing, Johan Olsson (SWE) demonstrated a complete return to form, pushing the pace from the get-go in the 30km classic mass start in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic, before countering a vicious attack from Dario Cologna (SUI), and riding fast skis to victory. Olsson couldn’t have asked for a better start to the 2012 season. At the opening 15km skate in Sjusjoen, Norway, he skied to a convincing...
Vylegzhanin and Chernousov Lead Dominant Russian Performance in Rybinsk Skiathlon
Audrey ManganFebruary 5, 2012
Rybinsk is like Russia’s version of Holmenkollen—perhaps not with quite as many spectators, but its fans were no less enthusiastic about the World Cup this weekend, and turned out in admirable numbers despite the cold to cheer on the national team. On Saturday, Russian skiers fell short of topping the podium in front of the home crowd, but that changed in a big way in the 30 k skiathlon on Sunday. Not only did Russia...
For the past few years, the World Cup in Rybinsk, Russia has been the weekend frequently skipped over by national teams and various individuals. With the overall World Cup title a focal point this season and no major championship to save up for, however, the expected fields are nearly double what they’ve recently been, in spite of the handful of athletes who have decided not to race in the extreme cold. The forecast initially looked...
Northug in Classic Finishing Form, Wins Men’s Skiathlon but Cologna Gains
Topher SabotJanuary 1, 2012
OBERSTDORF, Germany – Four down, five to go, and an epic battle is developing in the men’s 2012 Tour de Ski. Over the course of the four events thus far, only 1.1 seconds separate Dario Cologna (SUI) form leader Petter Northug (NOR). Northug took his second stage victory of the Tour, but Cologna actually closed the gap due a strong showing in the intermediate sprints in the men’s 20km skiathlon in Oberstdorf, Germany. Despite...
left Marcus Hellner and Dario Cologna standing still. And Legkov wasn’t alone in impressing the crowd with his finishing skills – Vylegzhanin did what most possible consider to be impossible, did a fantastic job of reeling in and then dispatching Frenchman Jean-Marc Gaillaird in the 20 k pursuit in Rybinsk, Russia. But despite having possibly the strongest team on paper, the Russians had the most devastating relay experience at World Championships in Oslo. After taking...
Since the tail end of the 2011 Tour de Ski, Russia’s star distance skier, Alexander Legkov, has been missing in action. He fell ill with swine flu and couldn’t finish the Tour, then, with an abysmal performance in the relay at World Championships in Oslo, singlehandedly dashed his country’s hopes for a medal in that event. While the relay result stung, Legkov’s drought has been balanced by some strong performances by his teammates. There’s Maxim...
Blue skies, some uncountable number of ski fans estimated in excess of 105,000, the most prestigious individual ski race in the world, and all of it in Oslo, the self-anointed ski capital of the world. Such a day could end only one way: with Petter Northug once again accelerating away from his competition in the last 400 meters of the World Championship 50 k freestyle on his home turf. A World Cup men’s 50 k...
When asked whom he designed the Oslo courses for, the renowned Hermod Björkestöl, responsible for the layouts at the last three Olympics, responded simply “for entertainment.” And entertainment, in the form of drama and excitement, was provided in spades as Petter Northug (NOR) overcame a shocking early attack by Alex Harvey, and an impressive late challenge by the Russians to achieve his primary goal for the 2011 World Championships – an individual gold medal. Northug...
Heading into Saturday’s 15 k classic race, it had been more than four years since Eldar Roenning won a World Cup distance race. But even before he left the starting gate in Otepaa, Estonia, the Norwegian knew that it was going to be a solid day. “I had a good feeling—I was feeling that I was good enough for the podium,” he said. Roenning wasn’t just good enough for the podium—he was good enough for...