Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[BigCoward]

Graphics were all over the place. Had Oeberg missing 5 when it was 0, and Herman missing 2 when it was 1.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Stina creeping closer and closer here. Let's see if she can hold her nerve in the range.

...pretty good. Slowed the shoot but got 4/5. The snow conditions are faster now as well which really benefits her. Gained over 4" on the first part of the lap.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Graphics were all over the place. Had Oeberg missing 5 when it was 0, and Herman missing 2 when it was 1.

Winterton blamed the graphics for his not realising that Stina fell short of Eckhoff's time, because he was still convinced she was going to catch Herrmann.

The graphics however, although they were all over the place earlier, were totally correct, he just assumed she'd go ahead of Eckhoff because I don't think he realised Eckhoff caught a bit of time back on Denise on the last bit after the Wall, and then kept shouting over Dixon when the latter tried to correct him.

A couple of minutes later he then chides himself saying he can't believe he made that mistake (I can) and that it was his heart ruling his head.

However, while the conditions late on were faster so that does impact it a little, plus of course she is also competing fresh, having not done the relay or started in the Olympics compared to Eckhoff and Herrmann, but we do have to praise Nilsson for getting her first fastest course time in her biathlon career. She had been struggling to produce competitive pace originally, and it has taken her best part of two years to get her skiing up to where it ought to be based on her prowess in XC, but it's starting to come together. The post-Olympic trimesters often produce some oddities (remember Innerhofer winning and Virolaynen podiuming on debut after Sochi in 2014, and Björn Ferry's retirement renaissance?) but this is a perfect time when a lot of the field are tired, some big names are missing through rest and retirement (plus of course the Belarusians and Russians are unable to compete, which takes another bar to measure against in terms of ski speed, Hanna Sola, out of competition as well), big teams are often experimenting with their lineups a little, it's a perfect time for Stina to hit some form and build some confidence.

 

[Discgear]

Really nice effort by Stina Nilsson today and also good to see the German "Stina" still catching victories late in her second career. I appreciate the tracks in Kontiolahti which are always providing great races on real snow.
In Kollen, good race between Pärmäkoski, Niskanen, Sundling, Hennig, Stadtober and Skaanes. The latter who btw was somewhat of a surprise. The Duracell rabbit was never under any threat and "gracefully" turned around just before the goal line - wrapped in two Norwegian flags - to scout for absent competition while screaming and waving to the audience. Notable was that the outlier didn't take any drinks offered during the race, maybe afraid of contaminated bottles or fluids? It was a disgrace to see Ebba racing several minutes with only one pole, despite all the people surrounding the track.

 

[Norbea]

TBH a 50km women's race might well have been fine during the Johaug era, she'd have had to think a bit more about her pacing then, if Oberstdorf and Storlien-Meråker are anything to go by, Karlsson had the measure of her the longer the race got and getting up to 30k and beyond the balance tipped towards the Swede

Maybe. Johaug has plans to do some long races. She might do Reistadløpet in April. It has some long climbs so she'll be a favorite, but she hasn't raced much against the elite long distance racers. I think if she had to pace it more, she would still win comfortably in a 50km against the best.

 

[Discgear]

Today Vasaloppet, the Crown Jewel of XC-Skiing celebrating 100 years. During the week more than 50 000 skiers are going to race the 92 km. A celebration of outdoor sports between elite, semi-professionals and amateurs. The oldest participant so far was 85 and the one with most consecutive races was 60. This year in perfect winter weather, sunny, cold with super fast and defined tracks.
In today's ladies race Oyre Slind or Johansson Norgren seems to be the strongest.
In the men's race following looks strong: Asle Gjerdalen, Johaug's brother, Nygaard, Eklöf, Persson, Novak and a bunch of other Norwegians.

One of the more peculiar elements is a men's choir racing in evening dress.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Today Vasaloppet, the Crown Jewel of XC-Skiing celebrating 100 years. During the week more than 50 000 skiers are going to race the 92 km. A celebration of outdoor sports between elite, semi-professionals and amateurs. The oldest participant so far was 85 and the one with most consecutive races was 60. This year in perfect winter weather, sunny, cold with super fast and defined tracks.
In today's ladies race Oyre Slind or Johansson Norgren seems to be the strongest.
In the men's race following looks strong: Asle Gjerdalen, Johaug's brother, Nygaard, Eklöf, Persson, Novak and a bunch of other Norwegians.

One of the more peculiar elements is a men's choir racing in evening dress.

Yesterday Matteo Tanel and a local guy won the team event.
Those 2 have crazy volume training sessions, recently the skied all night long and did 220kms in one go.

 

[Norbea]

Nygaard the strongest finisher. He must give huge thanks to his team who did a great job. Astrid Øyre Slind far ahead with 2 km to go.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Today Vasaloppet, the Crown Jewel of XC-Skiing celebrating 100 years. During the week more than 50 000 skiers are going to race the 92 km. A celebration of outdoor sports between elite, semi-professionals and amateurs. The oldest participant so far was 85 and the one with most consecutive races was 60. This year in perfect winter weather, sunny, cold with super fast and defined tracks.
In today's ladies race Oyre Slind or Johansson Norgren seems to be the strongest.
In the men's race following looks strong: Asle Gjerdalen, Johaug's brother, Nygaard, Eklöf, Persson, Novak and a bunch of other Norwegians.

One of the more peculiar elements is a men's choir racing in evening dress.

My dad is a Worldloppet Global Skier, he skied the Oppet Spar instead of the actual Vasaloppet because somehow his online/overseas registration got messed up, or the race was full already or something, I can't remember. But it really is a super popular XC ski marathon. Dad had nothing but praise for the Swedish race organizers and the crowd, and while the Oppet Spar was as insanely long as the Vasaloppet he had a good time and the weather wasn't too brutal. (Think the worst [coldest and windiest] Worldloppet marathon he ever raced was in Canada, the wind chill alone was just too frigid to contemplate.)

Do you partake in the Worldloppet races?

 

[Bavarianrider]

Sheduling the Holmenkollen 50km on the same day as the Vasa Loppet always seems a bit strange to me.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Today Vasaloppet, the Crown Jewel of XC-Skiing celebrating 100 years. During the week more than 50 000 skiers are going to race the 92 km. A celebration of outdoor sports between elite, semi-professionals and amateurs. The oldest participant so far was 85 and the one with most consecutive races was 60. This year in perfect winter weather, sunny, cold with super fast and defined tracks.
In today's ladies race Oyre Slind or Johansson Norgren seems to be the strongest.
In the men's race following looks strong: Asle Gjerdalen, Johaug's brother, Nygaard, Eklöf, Persson, Novak and a bunch of other Norwegians.

One of the more peculiar elements is a men's choir racing in evening dress.

Imagine being somewhere in the middle of this pack. I d feel really uncomfortable. Could never Imagine that. Must bei total carnage in the earlier parts of the race.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Looks like Iivo is now suffering and has bad skis.

 

[Norbea]

Looks like Niskanens skis lost its qualities after one round. Strange.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Imagine being somewhere in the middle of this pack. I d feel really uncomfortable. Could never Imagine that. Must bei total carnage in the earlier parts of the race.

Skating in such a big pack would be even worse, I couldn't handle that one

 

[Discgear]

Ivo hit the wall and somehow did find an extra petrol reserve. Incredible.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Also, Poromaa must have the same style consultant as Diggins. Those whiteboys cornrows look horrible.

 

[Discgear]

Also, Poromaa must have the same style consultant as Diggins. Those whiteboys cornrows look horrible.

Cultural appreciation maybe?

 

[BigCoward]

Tuned in to watch the end and it's not even on eurosport. WTF, it's the biggest race of the year.

 

[Norbea]

Nyenget! Wow. What a race this was. Niskanen ran out of steam, fought his way back, but Tønseths push in the end made it a Norwegian triple (the last time was in 1985).

1. Nyenget
2. Røthe
3. Tønseth
4. Niskanen
5. Poromaa

 

[Mayomaniac]

Nyenget! Wow. What a race this was. Niskanen ran out of steam, fought his way back, but Tønseths push in the end made it a Norwegian triple (the last was in 1985).

To met it looked like the Norwegians had much better skis on the downhill and the flat sections.
At least with Nyenget a guy who did lots of work won, Roethe pulling a Northug would have been meh.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Also a good showing by Salvadori and Nöckler showed that he's still decent when the federation/the head coach allows him to race a world cup race...

 

[Bavarianrider]

Tuned in to watch the end and it's not even on eurosport. WTF, it's the biggest race of the year.

Yeah, let alone in German TV. But but but, IT has to be a Mass start because of TV coverage. Fis Cross Country Skiing officials are so incompetent on so many Levels.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Yeah, let alone in German TV. But but but, IT has to be a Mass start because of TV coverage. Fis Cross Country Skiing officials are so incompetent on so many Levels.

I was able to watch it on Austrian TV.
Italy really needs new coaches, but the whole federation sucks.
Nöckler pretty much got kicked out of the NT training group because some people don't like him and they try to turn everyone who was a good allrounder in the junior ranks into a sprinter (see Graz).

 

[KZD]

Nyenget and Toenseth showing yet again how dumb was the Norwegian coach in picking Iversen for the Olympics. Huge victory for Nyenget the best place possible for him to get his first.

Niskanen and Poromaa really seemed to have worse skis but at least Niskanen did once again too much work, too early and wasted his biggest career chance of winning in Holmenkollen

 

[frenchfry]

At this point I have more faith in Pellegrino finishing inside the top 10 than I have in De Fabiani...

Oops...