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I was talking about this specific race, where she spent 18,5km taking no wind and if Johaug wasn't there, it was a small group with Diggins sitting on the back of it catching a ride the whole way. I wasn't slating her racing last week (in fact, you even praised my analysis of the finale around how she was able to take advantage of Sundling's tactical errors at the end).
Basically the Norwegians in that group did the same to be fair, first they all were on the tail of Johaug, then Ebba was pulling basically all the time with Weng working a few very short periods. Slind didnt do anything. To be fair to Diggins I think she “took more wind” in the classic part then Weng in the whole race. If Johaug wasnt there the race probably wouldve been Ebba leading for 18 km and then both Weng and Diggins would’ve dropped her in the same climb. I don’t think it’s fair to talk about one specific athlete Gerransing when it’s a group of 4 and there is another athlete that is definitely doing less work (Slind) and one barely doing more (Weng) and the third is doing 90% of it. If the other three all was working I would’ve understood it more.
Problem is, with Norway having Johaug up front, you can buy that they may have had team reasons for it (it's less common here but it does happen as we know). Ebba was taking the majority of the wind as you say. Diggins being in 4th place for most of the skate leg especially (which you would usually expect to be her better part of the race, although her classic is hugely improved over the last couple of years as we know), as well as being conspicuous by being in a completely different-coloured suit and the yellow bib, draws more attention.
Taking about team tactic is purely theoretical in this group I think. It would surprise me if Slind has spent more than a total of 2 kilometer in the front of a (good) group in her entire World Cup career, and Weng have spent the last 10 years following other skiers, while Ebba on the other hand always is trying to force the pace. With or without Johaug, all experience says Weng and Slind would’ve been sitting in anyway.
Even so, it doesn't mean that Diggins wasn't using that tactic, or that we can't voice dissatisfaction at an unappealing or unexciting tactic being deployed. And as she should be expected to beat all of those three in a sprint (Weng the only one that could even remotely contend on a normal day) and was content to be towed along especially once all expectation of catching Johaug had been given up on, that means she's the one I described as the Gerrans in the group. She's also the woman that - for the time being at least, Sundling may usurp this from her in time - is benefiting the most from the Klæboization of the distance courses on the calendar in recent years, because of that ability to sprint at the end of those distance races and her high level of recovery meaning she can be at least moderately competitive in most sprints and accumulate points in those where the likes of Johaug and Andersson cannot, too.
Their best chance of success for a gold is 3 strong men, and a sprinter who wins if its easy/slow.
It's a 50km skating race without the Russians, how badly would they have to mess up to loose this one? Unless Vermeulen goes full Mühlegg they have this one in the bag.
You never know with Elvira, the Swedes traditionally start the season at peak since most years the calendar starts in Östersund. While she will no doubt be one of the fastest skiers season-long, whether she can remain as standout on speed beyond December remains to be seen. Preuß likewise started last season in super form, but as ever staying healthy is the problem for her. I think she's only got two seasons where she's stayed healthy throughout, 2014-15 when she won the Mass Start globe, and 2020-21 under COVID rules when she ended up 3rd in the overall World Cup.
Very badly. But the best strategy that almost guarantees gold, includes Klaebo in the team. Your personal animosity notwithstanding.
Because when bolshunov used to out the pedal to the metal he was the best thing since sliced bread.
Johaug was a lot more popular when Kowalczyk and Bjørgen were around, because it was more like the reason Bolshunov had his fans. People tend not to enjoy races that they find boring. This manifests itself most often, looking at the responses in this thread, in the dislike against the likes of Klæbo (and before him Northug) for the mass start races where nothing happens and every attack gets crushed to allow a final sprint. Where racing becomes formulaic, athletes who interfere with those formula tend to be relatively popular, even if other aspects of their personality may be objectionable. I'd anticipate all of us on the board are cycling fans, so obviously it doesn't take much explaining to say why riders like Aleksandr Vinokourov or Thomas Voeckler might be more popular with viewers than Simon Gerrans.
Agree. And, there might be a few other reasons concerning the dislike of TJ and MJS for the ones who have read a certain thread in the clinic.
first and foremost Austria and Estonia after the Seefeld World Champs...
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