Rider, the whole calendar has been nothing but skate sprints and 15km races. No skiathlons, no 30k individual (or mass start), only 3 classic sprints, easy TDS route with (you guessed it) two skate sprints and only one individual race, everything else was basically a mass start. It's tailor made for somebody like Klaebo. Of course Klaebo didn't make the schedule, but I hope FIS can alter things for the future. That said, since the advent of the TDS in 2007, FIS has been actively trying to cater to more casual viewers, to get more people into watching the sport. That's fine, everyone that follows this sport should want it to be popular, but how is that working? Kowalczyk is basically retired from the circuit so the viewership is way down in Poland, the Germans have been more or less mediocre for the past few years, the French men have done well, but what's the stats in France? Pellegrino has flown the flag for Italy, but he is saying that xc is way down on the list in terms of popular sports, he says (maybe he is exaggerating, I don't know) it's 15th. What's the viewership like in Finland? It's always going to attract audiences in Scandinavia, so it's safe there, and it's still somewhat popular in Russia (rider or if there are any other Russians here, you can clarify). Everywhere else it's a fringe sport. Harvey is about to retire, that will greatly diminish Canada's influence in xc and I am not sure if it was ever super popular there. Next year they are bringing the WC to Minneapolis, Jessie Diggins' backyard. That's a good move. Will it bear fruit?