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Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

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About the upcoming weekend, Sweden is bringing the junior classic individual start WC Evelina Crüsel to Lillehammer for the skating individual start. Why they have Myhlback only race the (hard) Skiathlon instead of also the sprint, who knows.

Speaking of young riders, last weekend Gismondi and de Martin Pinter won her first senior races in the Italian national cup. Gismondi won the 10km skating and finished 3rd in the 10km classic (she skipped the sprint race before because of a training crash), while De Martin Pinter won the 10km classic, finished 4th in the 10km skating and 3rd in the sprint.

On the men's side Benjamin Schwingshackl from Gsies won the sprint, Carollo the 10km skating and Didi Nöckler won the 10km classic. Schwingshackl is talented, he finished 7th in the sprint in the 2022 junior WC (3rd in the qualifier) an 10th in the 10km classic. Of course I'm biased because he's from around here (like Iris de Martin Pinter) and he went to highschool in my hometown.
 
I see both sides of it. If it were me and I'd had those problems before, I'd not be daring to risk it. But then, if the medics have taught her how to handle it and are comfortable with her continuing in that fashion, they're the experts and the ones facing severe repercussions should anything happen to her. If she's happy to continue and comfortable with the advice she's getting, and they're comfortable with her continuing, then there's no problem other than the brainworms.
 
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Anger decided to skip the interval (probably after realizing how tough the course is) to focus on the sprint so Myhlback will be doing the 10k skate as well. He is nowhere near the sprint team in fact he even failed to qualify for the sprint in Junior Worlds last year. (Ending fourth in the national test event behind Bergström, Lindberg & Danielsson with Grahn being champion from 2023). Myhlback best distance is arguably a classic mass starts so probably Skiathlon will be his best chance to earn a spot in Trondheim.

Sweden fills a b-team for interval with all sprint girls focusing on Saturdays sprint. Sundling could probably been in the top 10 (atleast) but for Svahn, Ribom and Dahlqvist the climb is probably way too hard. I remember Stina Nilsson really struggled a few years ago. She did great in the sprint and classic puirsuit but tackle that climb in skating technique was simply too much.

Klaebo is out of tomorrow as well due to illness, I doubt he is gonna race anything this weekend with the worlds at home snow he”ll be reluctant to take any risks.
 
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Anger decided to skip the interval (probably after realizing how tough the course is) to focus on the sprint so Myhlback will be doing the 10k skate as well. He is nowhere near the sprint team in fact he even failed to qualify for the sprint in Junior Worlds last year. (Ending fourth in the national test event behind Bergström, Lindberg & Danielsson with Grahn being champion from 2023). Myhlback best distance is arguably a classic mass starts so probably Skiathlon will be his best chance to earn a spot in Trondheim.

Sweden fills a b-team for interval with all sprint girls focusing on Saturdays sprint. Sundling could probably been in the top 10 (atleast) but for Svahn, Ribom and Dahlqvist the climb is probably way too hard. I remember Stina Nilsson really struggled a few years ago. She did great in the sprint and classic puirsuit but tackle that climb in skating technique was simply too much.

Klaebo is out of tomorrow as well due to illness, I doubt he is gonna race anything this weekend with the worlds at home snow he”ll be reluctant to take any risks.
Meanwhile both Niskanen and Krüger are saying that the courses for the WC distance races are too easy, with Krüger suggesting that it's gonna be mainly a problem in the mass start races and that they did it to help out the hometown hero Kläbo.
 
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Meanwhile both Niskanen and Krüger are saying that the courses for the WC distance races are too easy, with Krüger suggesting that it's gonna be mainly a problem in the mass start races and that they did it to help out the hometown hero Kläbo.
Ofc it’s to help Klaebo and they are not even hiding it. The freestyle course in the skiathlon is extremely easy considering what they could have done if they wanted. The 50k is better because there they’ll use the climb from the classic course. But still I think they could have done more.

With that said, Niskanen might actually have a chance in the Skiathlon if he decides to go. With soft conditions he could create splits in classic and the follow backs in the easier skate loop.
 
Ofc it’s to help Klaebo and they are not even hiding it. The freestyle course in the skiathlon is extremely easy considering what they could have done if they wanted. The 50k is better because there they’ll use the climb from the classic course. But still I think they could have done more.

With that said, Niskanen might actually have a chance in the Skiathlon if he decides to go. With soft conditions he could create splits in classic and the follow backs in the easier skate loop.
Krüger seems to be pissed and after the trick that the coach of the team pulled at the last WC by not selecting him for the 50km I can't blame him. Best chance for him is that Ree and Amundsen also qualify and then the go hard from the start.
 
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Krüger seems to be pissed and after the trick that the coach of the team pulled at the last WC by not selecting him for the 50km I can't blame him. Best chance for him is that Ree and Amundsen also qualify and then the go hard from the start.
It was ridiculous excluding Krüger especially considering it’s not the first time. They didn’t bring him to Seefeld Skiathlon when he was Olympic Champion because Iversen won a mass sprint on an easy course and hard conditions in NC (his home course by coincidence) and Klaebo is the golden boy. I guess Krüger and Holund was pissed when Iversen and Klaebo halfway started softski to the finish so they could prepare for the team sprint.

Krügers record in classic 50k was not bad either as he was second to Bolshunov in Holmenkollen one year and medaled in Oberstdorf. Klaebo on the other hand can race what he wants.
 
I have to wonder what Iversen has that causes him to get all these selections as well. He's not what he used to be.

Sadly, I think that the fact Klæbo is perceived as the golden goose has meant that a lot of the skiers like Krüger are afterthoughts only, because being able to sprint and hang on in mass start distance essentially covers off 95% of the calendar now.

It was a bit better when Sundby was the main star, but even then there was a lot built around helping Northug, at least while he was still relevant. When people like Holund are retiring basically saying there's nothing for skiers like him on the World Cup anymore and people like Krüger are openly criticising their own country's organisation for biasing the courses, it kind of tells you how bad it has got.

But FIS seem to think that a close finish = a good race, so the 50km at Falun 2015 was a better race than the one at Holmenkollen 2013, and Lahti 2017 was better than Seefeld 2019 likewise.
 
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I think Iversen rightfully got the selections before when he was good. Except 2019 of course, but that was mainly because there were no Skiathlons in the World Cup so they had to use the NC. But they should have done like 2017 and only choosing one sprinter so if you decide to bring Iversen you should have left Klaebo at home which actually would have made sense.

Then Iversen got to race the Olympics in Beijing on old merit when he was awful which was a bit weird but then with Krüger out it made sense selecting him for the relay to save Valnes for the team sprint.

This year he got a place in Ruka and will get one to Davos for winning the Scandinavian Cup. In Lillehammer they are allowed to leave him home which I guess was a easy decision even he wasn’t to bad last Sunday
 
I have to wonder what Iversen has that causes him to get all these selections as well. He's not what he used to be.

Sadly, I think that the fact Klæbo is perceived as the golden goose has meant that a lot of the skiers like Krüger are afterthoughts only, because being able to sprint and hang on in mass start distance essentially covers off 95% of the calendar now.

It was a bit better when Sundby was the main star, but even then there was a lot built around helping Northug, at least while he was still relevant. When people like Holund are retiring basically saying there's nothing for skiers like him on the World Cup anymore and people like Krüger are openly criticising their own country's organisation for biasing the courses, it kind of tells you how bad it has got.

But FIS seem to think that a close finish = a good race, so the 50km at Falun 2015 was a better race than the one at Holmenkollen 2013, and Lahti 2017 was better than Seefeld 2019 likewise.

Well these days the Norwegian men are mostly racing each other for the top spots, with only a couple guys here and there mixing it up.

Krüger recently said that without Bolshunov and the Russians there, there’s no team tactics, everyone for themselves.

Sundby wasn’t a fan of team tactics back in the day, and he and Northug didn’t like each other that much.
 
Well these days the Norwegian men are mostly racing each other for the top spots, with only a couple guys here and there mixing it up.

Krüger recently said that without Bolshunov and the Russians there, there’s no team tactics, everyone for themselves.

Sundby wasn’t a fan of team tactics back in the day, and he and Northug didn’t like each other that much.
That's the one thing I respect about Sundby (besides saying Cortina-Toblach was the most beautiful race in the World Cup), it's an individual sport and about giving yourself the best chance to win.

TV coverage just started and of course Italy TV brings up that 1994 relay. Snowing right now, so it should be a slow race on a hard course, my pick for the win is Ree, I can see Vermeulen on the podium and Moch benefits from this conditions.
With these conditions Sweden also has very little chance of doing well without Burman.
 
The Norwegians are really missing Klaebo today.
This is a joke; 10 out of the top 13 places, and who knows how many got left at home who could crack the top 15 or 20. I guess the only way to enjoy this is focus on the competition between these guys for World Championship start spots rather than that they're all Norwegian. Every race they do is blood warfare between them; that will have to do for the time being. More individual starts please!
 
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Krüger recently said that without Bolshunov and the Russians there, there’s no team tactics, everyone for themselves.

Sundby wasn’t a fan of team tactics back in the day, and he and Northug didn’t like each other that much.
That's the one thing I respect about Sundby (besides saying Cortina-Toblach was the most beautiful race in the World Cup), it's an individual sport and about giving yourself the best chance to win.

To be fair, Sundby has not been consistent about team tactic.
As an athlete him and Northug didn't go well together, and when it benefitted Sundby he wasn't waiting for Northug even if other people thought he should've done (f.ex. 50k in Lahti). But then Sundby did lose an Olympic gold medal to Krueger because he followed the team tactic in 2018 30 km. That time he said it was painful, but then a year later he was very satisfied and bragged about great team tactic and stupid foreigners when Holund won the 50k in Seefeld (and Sundby finished 4th and probably losing out on a medal because they let Holund go). When Chris Jespersen in super form slowed down the group and just sat in on Cortina-Toblach stage in 2014, securing Sundbys lead (and later overall win) he was very happy with the team tactic in that race (Jespersen was not happy, and is probably still a bit bitter about it), so as an athlete he was incosistent but in general against team tactic.

As an expert however he's been consistent the other way, openly critizing the Norwegians for not letting their team mates go, both in Lahti 2023 and in Ruka last weekend. So I dont think its the correct picture to paint Sundby as a spokesperson for skiing as an individual sport.
 
Ailing biathlete Einar Hedegart manages a top 10! That's somewhat unexpected, last time I saw him in any high level competitions he was coming 28th in the biathlon World Cup on 10/10 shooting. In his only international race last year (at the European championships) he was only 34th best ski time (around the same level as Peppe Femling and Lucas Fratzscher) and missed the pursuit after shooting badly, so where on earth this has come from is beyond me. Although he is at least still pretty young and if he's given up biathlon for good and concentrated solely on skiing in the offseason he could have taken a big leap forward, but this is still nevertheless a way higher level than I expected of him when I saw him on the startlist.
 
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Obvious waxing advantage for the Norwegians. Had probably won anyways but would have been a more fun race to watch if Vermuelen, Moch, Karlsson and Diggins had better skis
 
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Fossessholm with an excellent top 10, that has to be super encouraging for her after nothing but trouble the last 2 years. Nice to see.

Rosie Brennan must be ill or got her prep wrong or something; even if she had horrible skis that is WAY off the pace.
 
Obvious waxing advantage for the Norwegians.
Get out the fluoro detectors..... :p

I'm a decent waxer but no world cup tech, but in all seriousness, wondering if the fluoro ban is going to make it even harder for smaller nations to compete? Looks like grinds are going to become even more important, and with the bigger teams being able to grind onsite, just seems like the arms race is getting worse...if I'm way off on this I would welcome some education from someone who knows more about the world cup ski prep capabilities of different teams.
 
Get out the fluoro detectors..... :p

I'm a decent waxer but no world cup tech, but in all seriousness, wondering if the fluoro ban is going to make it even harder for smaller nations to compete? Looks like grinds are going to become even more important, and with the bigger teams being able to grind onsite, just seems like the arms race is getting worse...if I'm way off on this I would welcome some education from someone who knows more about the world cup ski prep capabilities of different teams.
Depends, in Switzerland the whole skiing federation, including the powerful and influential Alpine Skiing part of it, worked together to develop new alternatives/share know-how for those conditions. Last Tour de Ski they often had the best skis.

That said, those conditions would have been great for Fluor, just saying...

Sad to See Toenseth still being so far off after his mycoplasma infection, I think he'll miss out on a WC spot. For a lighter, not really musclebound guy his uphill double poling (guy even tried it on the really steep part of the longest climb in Toblach) and his uphill V2 are great.
Speaking of uphill V2, Nyenget's double poling skills transfer really well to it, the guy is great at that.
I fear Andersen and Ree probably lost their chance of getting a spot on the team, unless one of them wins the Skiathlon on Saturday.

After recovering from Sickness Golberg also needs to show something, or he'll potentially meet the same fate as Iversen last time, even if with his sprint ability he'll probably always be in the mix as their 2nd option for the teamsprint.