Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[roundabout]

No that way of thought is exactly the problem.
Everyone races not to lose, nobody races to win.
While Olson wouldnt have dropped everybody, keeping a high pace would have certainly cracked Northug, just like in the Skiathlon.

In that weather it's a lot easier to follow as the front guy ends up clearing the tracks for the rest.

 

[May0maniac]

Simon Gerrans uses his brain, but nobody likes watching him race. Apart from a couple of athletes I will spare (Bauer, Olsson in the first half of the race, S?dergren) they all played into Northug's hands.

The fact that he's an obnoxious, unlikable *** the rest of the time just serves to make the "I hate watching you race" haters into "I want you to go away" haters. For all the moaning I do about Martin Fourcade, it's only in the races he bothers me. Northug is objectionable at almost all times.

Yes, recently I also compared Northug to Gerrans when i talked about the WC with a friend.

 

[Kokoso]

Skis. Had fresh during the last 5k.

That was no luck but. HE made the decision to change later, not luck and he had to go on bad skis before because he changed them later.

 

[Kokoso]

Maybe Vylegzhanin, as he had all the momentum coming into the last small climbs, however Bauer saw him trying to attack and shut the door on him into the stadium, he lost all momentum and that cost him a medal.

No, this didn't really happen or at least that was far from finish. Vyleg was clearly dead in finish.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Damn it, what a epic day for a 50km individual start this would have been

 

[Libertine Seguros]

No, this didn't really happen or at least that was far from finish. Vyleg was clearly dead in finish.

It was comparatively far from the finish. Vyleg was practically a non-factor in the actual sprint.

After the little horseshoe shaped double climb, Vyleg was in 2nd position. At the bottom of that they turn left into the stadium. Vyleg had a lot of momentum and was on the side nearest the fence. Bauer didn't leave enough room for Vyleg to get through and Olsson was alongside him so Vyleg lost momentum.

By the time they got to the end of that straight, and onto the last little climb which is in the stadium itself, he was on the wrong line and without enough energy left to do anything. Whether that's because he had to do more work than he would have liked on the penultimate straight because he went narrow-side where there wasn't enough room or would have happened anyway, I don't know.

I certainly wasn't criticizing Bauer though, he did nothing wrong. He didn't block Vylegzhanin, he just closed the door on him.

I did rather understate the distance between the entrance to the stadium and the last small climb, it was at the beginning of the straight that what I mentioned took place, which is actually quite a bit further from the climb than I thought.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Damn it, what a epic day for a 50km individual start this would have been

Might have ended up a bit of a start number gamble with the early starters getting half the race in decent conditions and half in the heavy stuff from later on though.

They seem to like putting the individual start formats on on weekdays though so that the weekend TV scheduling gets the more populist mass start/pursuit start events, and with the 50k being the blue riband event everybody wants it on the final weekend, so the 50k MS is here to stay, I'm afraid. Certainly once in a while I would like an Individual start one. It's just a totally different race that way

 

[Bavarianrider]

Might have ended up a bit of a start number gamble with the early starters getting half the race in decent conditions and half in the heavy stuff from later on though.

They seem to like putting the individual start formats on on weekdays though so that the weekend TV scheduling gets the more populist mass start/pursuit start events, and with the 50k being the blue riband event everybody wants it on the final weekend, so the 50k MS is here to stay, I'm afraid. Certainly once in a while I would like an Individual start one. It's just a totally different race that way

Normally, A 50km race is way too long to be a start number gamble. You can easily start the best 20 guys within 20 minutes.

 

[Kokoso]

It was comparatively far from the finish. Vyleg was practically a non-factor in the actual sprint.

After the little horseshoe shaped double climb, Vyleg was in 2nd position. At the bottom of that they turn left into the stadium. Vyleg had a lot of momentum and was on the side nearest the fence. Bauer didn't leave enough room for Vyleg to get through and Olsson was alongside him so Vyleg lost momentum.

By the time they got to the end of that straight, and onto the last little climb which is in the stadium itself, he was on the wrong line and without enough energy left to do anything. Whether that's because he had to do more work than he would have liked on the penultimate straight because he went narrow-side where there wasn't enough room or would have happened anyway, I don't know.

I certainly wasn't criticizing Bauer though, he did nothing wrong. He didn't block Vylegzhanin, he just closed the door on him.

I did rather understate the distance between the entrance to the stadium and the last small climb, it was at the beginning of the straight that what I mentioned took place, which is actually quite a bit further from the climb than I thought.

Yes, that did happen. I suppose Bauer didn't want to shut him, more likely he chosed faster lane.

 

[Pricey_sky]

So the biathlon worlds start today with the mixed relay. Will be cheering on the Czech Republic who have been awesome in the relays so far. I think the French will be the main danger.

 

[Kokoso]

JTB wants three golds...that isn't very humble. One man less to cheer for Libertine.

 

[python]

norway penalty lap...i'm no expert, but aren't they the most winning-est mixed team of last years ? does not look like this year...

 

[Pricey_sky]

So the biathlon worlds start today with the mixed relay. Will be cheering on the Czech Republic who have been awesome in the relays so far. I think the French will be the main danger.

Czech first followed by the French, nice!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

JTB wants three golds...that isn't very humble. One man less to cheer for Libertine.

While JTB is at least good fun to watch for the time being while his shooting is too unreliable for him to make races too predictable (I am a bit concerned when both M?k?r?inen and Domracheva shoot like they did today), he did already rather raise a red flag in terms of my ability to like him when, at Annecy, he did the same arrogant posturing to the crowds as he shot clear to beat Martin Fourcade in front of his home crowd as Fourcade had done at ?stersund a year earlier when he beat Ferry and Bergman. JTB does give me the impression of being very full of himself so if and when he does stabilize his performances at the top of the sport he will probably be quite unlikable.

 

[Kokoso]

While JTB is at least good fun to watch for the time being while his shooting is too unreliable for him to make races too predictable (I am a bit concerned when both M?k?r?inen and Domracheva shoot like they did today), he did already rather raise a red flag in terms of my ability to like him when, at Annecy, he did the same arrogant posturing to the crowds as he shot clear to beat Martin Fourcade in front of his home crowd as Fourcade had done at ?stersund a year earlier when he beat Ferry and Bergman. JTB does give me the impression of being very full of himself so if and when he does stabilize his performances at the top of the sport he will probably be quite unlikable.

I cheered for JTB to give some counterbalance to Martin. And because he's redhead and somehow "I feel for" redhead people. They look so vulnerable.

But it showed up that best counterbalance today was Moravec

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I cheered for JTB to give some counterbalance to Martin. And because he's redhead and somehow "I feel for" redhead people. They look so vulnerable.

But it showed up that best counterbalance today was Moravec

Moravec earnt a permanent place in my heart when I was there to see him take his first career win, from right under Fourcade's nose in Holmenkollen.

 

[meat puppet]

M?k?r?inen and domracheva did well each, zero misses and fast on the tracks, although the tracks seemed very slushy. Fourcade beat boe in a similar clash.

 

[Kokoso]

Moravec earnt a permanent place in my heart when I was there to see him take his first career win, from right under Fourcade's nose in Holmenkollen.

Let's hope JB doesn't won that golds. I'd say Slesinger is best bet.

 

[frenchfry]

Richard Jouve 4th in the sprint qualifications. Only 20, lots of potential.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Let's hope JB doesn't won that golds. I'd say Slesinger is best bet.

Well, looks like he has done. Definitely a start number race looking at some of the later times (no way is Moravec normally over 30" behind Nathan Smith on equal shooting) but Smith is good value for his podium. Tarjei, Lesser and Simon Fourcade show that there are still possibilities for a good race from later numbers, but the pace isn't quite there. Soukup had a good first two laps but faded quite badly on the last lap I thought, lost nearly 30 seconds. Still, could be worse. Simon Schempp will at least get a rest tomorrow I guess.

 

[python]

bjoergen over muscling little kindergarten girls is almost a perverted sight

3 frenchmen in the final vs 3 norges, who cold have predicted THAT ?

french the saviors of the the rest of the world's pride

 

[frenchfry]

bjoergen over muscling little kindergarten girls is almost a perverted sight

3 frenchmen in the final vs 3 norges, who cold have predicted THAT ?

french the saviors of the the rest of the world's pride

Only the mustached one is eliminated so far. If Jouve takes this - wow!

 

[Kokoso]

Well, looks like he has done. Definitely a start number race looking at some of the later times (no way is Moravec normally over 30" behind Nathan Smith on equal shooting) but Smith is good value for his podium. Tarjei, Lesser and Simon Fourcade show that there are still possibilities for a good race from later numbers, but the pace isn't quite there. Soukup had a good first two laps but faded quite badly on the last lap I thought, lost nearly 30 seconds. Still, could be worse. Simon Schempp will at least get a rest tomorrow I guess.

Don't know about that start times. Tarjei had no form all season, for him this is huge succes and one of the fastest times all seasn long, same for Simon Fourcade. Moravec had bad day I think. In relay he ran greatly, today not so. Anyway, JB win is little disaster for us. Slesinger should win it IMHO.

 

[python]

Only the mustached one is eliminated so far. If Jouve takes this - wow!

i will have to replay it, but it looks like only the french boys had not had accidents/falls. excellent ski handling with a tad of luck, i reckon...will definitely open the best shiraz in my collection if a french wins !!!

 

[python]

de fabiani a surprizing winner ? several yet to finish but he''ll stay. yep, surprising for a 21 yo seldom heard from.