Nordic Skiing/Biathlon Thread

[python]

i don't see the OFFICIAL start lists on the fis site yet. but the media quoting the national coaches said:

norway
dyrhaug , toennseth, gloeersen, northug.

sweden
richardsson, olsson, hellner, halfvarsson.

russia
belov, besmertnykh, legkov, vyleg

no disrespect to other team, but i reckon, these will be the medal teams...the order of legs is extremely interesting. if the order stays as listed, the 2 classic leg may be where the eventual winning team is planning to deliver a coup. NO ONE wants to sprint against northug in the last meters...

tomorrows tactic ? who knows...they say it may snow..

since they understand it will be next to impossible to drop gloeersen, the swedes and/or the russians best hope would be to create a gap after the classic legs, so that that hellner and legkov could work together

other notables: the norges have 3 debutantes.. the 2015 legkov imo is (at best) 90% the 2013/14 version..bessmetnykh-a-golden-bullet is said to have just arrived from high altitude...

also, the classic legs appear considerably longer and the climbs tougher...

 

[Lupetto]

The free leg is way to easy. Denise Herrmann had the fastest time there. 10:13 for 5k. Even the classic leg isn't so difficult.

And on sunday they will do both climbs five times each in classic style...

 

[python]

norway
dyrhaug , toennseth, gloeersen, northug.

sweden
richardsson, olsson, hellner, halfvarsson.

russia
belov, besmertnykh, legkov, vyleg

if the order stays as listed, the 2 classic leg may be where the eventual winning team is planning to deliver a coup.

well, hilarious...the fis just posted the OFFICIAL start and order lists. it appears the russians have been coy by issuing confusing signal by no less than their corpulent lady-in-chief

while the swedish and the norwegian teams stay as was told by their coaches, the russians have made DRASTIC chess-like castling:

vyleg, bessmertnykh for classic
legkov, belov for skating

i could not think of a more obvious statement.. they intend belov - a very fit distance chap but no match to neither halfvarsson nor northug in sprinting - to time trial to a medal (whatever metal colour). of course, putting their only fit sprinter - vyleg - in the 1 st leg of his favourite classic, they intend to put pressure from the get go

 

[frenchfry]

The French should have a good shot at a medal. Gaillard was super strong in the classic leg of the skiathlon, Magnificat is in great form (though generally better at skating), Duvillard was near the lead in the 15km skating until fading at the end so should be good for 10km, and Backscheider burned up the skating leg (12th) of the skiathlon.

 

[ToreBear]

Bleckur will have no problem to keep up with Weng, more likely the other way round. If Bleckur has advantage, Kalla can make it bigger and Norges are f**ed.

Hmm, guess Ive just got beginners luck.



Today my predictions are an exciting race. Hopefully everyone has competitive skis as well.

 

[meat puppet]

Jauhoj?rvi and livo niskanen blasting obscene pace today would be hilarious.

Agree that the skate track was way too easy yesterdays relay. But comparing and calculating the times take into account that the distance was less than 5k, more like 4,5.

 

[python]

indeed, the classic legs is what should decide the race.

a '2.5 km' classic loop is in fact 2844 m long which is more than 400 longer then the skating one. meaning all classic entries will run 1.6 km longer than their skating teammates.

the race will be decided not going up BUT on the 1 km continuous downhill from about km 1.5 to km 2.5 on a classic loop. it is a gliding wax race today. teams will have to take risks with wax today, some will miss badly. certainly stiff vs soft classic skis gambit.

... all teams put their best of assets in the classic legs.

given the classic realities, the finns and the french have very good teams and perhaps i should have recognized them earlier.

 

[Kokoso]

Hmm, guess Ive just got beginners luck.



Today my predictions are an exciting race. Hopefully everyone has competitive skis as well.

Yeah I ws totally wrong. Bleckur failed nad Kalla had to chase insane Johaug instead advantage - making.

 

[dukoff]

Good luck! Expecting Toenseth to put his mark on this one.

 

[python]

impressions after 2 loops:

the canadian skis seemed most slippery, then i'd say the norges...vyleg is attacking, which normally means a commitment.

 

[meat puppet]

Jauhoj?rvi very good glide, not very good grip. Hope vyleg puts the pressure on

 

[Kokoso]

Good luck! Expecting Toenseth to put his mark on this one.

I don't think so. That guy has like 20% bodyfat.

 

[Kokoso]

impressions after 2 loops:

the canadian skis seemed most slippery, then i'd say the norges...

I'd say french. Norges skis look really ok, as are canadian.

 

[Kokoso]

I'd say Niskanen should hide behind Tonseth than smoke him later if he has power than. This isn't clever.

 

[python]

olsson being able to close almost 20 seconds gap means that the top 3 guys were maxed...i guess, if not i expect another acceleration of the final lap either from toenseth, bes or livo

 

[Kokoso]

olsson being able to close almost 20 seconds gap means that the top 3 guys were maxed...i guess, if not i expect another acceleration of the final lap either from toenseth, bes or livo

Olsson performance reminds me of some Bauer's relay performances...but than Bauer would chase them down in 5 km and by now would lead by reasonable margin

 

[python]

Olsson performance reminds me of some Bauer's relay performances...but than Bauer would chase them down in 5 km and by now would lead by reasonable margin

i agree, both are not wheelsuckers, probably could not be by their makeup and charterer. but olsson is just a monster today.

 

[Kokoso]

i agree, both are not wheelsuckers, probably could not be by their makeup and charterer. but olsson is just a monster today.

He is, that's why he reminds me of Bauer, who was even bigger monster.

 

[meat puppet]

Go france!

 

[Kokoso]

Marcus Failner.

 

[python]

that belov had taken back 18 sec of 40 after only 1 lap means they are sandbagging

 

[Kokoso]

What is Halfvarsson waiting for?

 

[Kokoso]

Would be cool if the French guy doesn't go na the max and smoke both of them

 

[meat puppet]

Seems like sprint then. Anyone but norway.

 

[python]

What is Halfvarsson waiting for?

he's guarding his silver...both him and the french know they are doomed...but i cant read their minds. in the mean time belov had closed another 5-6 seconds

a very exciting race !