Mass start to start the tour, mass start to finish the tour. Why not just have a mass start every stage? I don't understand the thinking here. Ok, so they want to keep it close and exciting as long as possible, but they can have exciting races by having different kinds of races.
This sort of race (it wasn't even 15km, it was 14) where the top 30 finish just over 30 seconds within each other is not good. Yes, the top guys were there, but I think having the gaps bigger in an individual start race and then a sprint would have been a much better call. The sprinters could try to get some time back while the distance skiers would try to limit their losses in the sprint, assuming they get in the top 30. Now it's a sprint, where Klaebo will make the final and likely win (though Chanavat and Pellegrino should push him, and we'll see how Ustiugov does tomorrow) and the gaps will be big.
The individual start race in Toblach will be huge. Ustiugov beat Klaebo by almost 50 seconds, Bolshunov was almost 30 ahead of Klaebo, so that's where those guys (and likely Krueger, Holund, Roethe, etc) will take some time out of Klaebo, but that's likely it. They then have to wait until the final climb, and Bolshunov is too big to do much damage there. He lost his podium there last year and the year before he lost a chunk of time.
Bolshunov lost his second place today by slowing down and looking the wrong way, ala Klaebo last year in Ruka. So a bit of redemption in that regard for the Norwegian. Also, Klaebo's skis were rockets. He passed Cologna so easily on that final downhill coming into the stadium I felt sorry for the Swiss. He was eventually passed by two more Norwegians, Iversen and Nyenget. I thought he would be the one to try and attack in the final kilometers but it didnt' happen.
8 of the top 12 were Norwegian, all 10 Norwegians in the top 18. Basically they could have brought anyone that can walk and they would have been in the points. Yeah, it's the other nations job to get better and be more competitive, but that is embarrassing and not good for the sport going forward. Andersson spared us of a clean sweep earlier, and Ustiugov and Bolshunov did the same, but IMO this may turn people off.
I wonder what happens to the Swiss team when Cologna retires. Of course they'll have skiers, but they won't be competitive. What will that do to Switzerland's hosting races? Davos for sure stays, but I wonder how often other venues like Lenzerheide and Val Mustair will be used. Swiss sponsors are important, Switzerland is in the middle of Europe, middle of the Alps, so I'll say there's still going to be races held there. It won't be like Poland when Kowalczyk retired. Germany still has races on the calendar despite their team not getting on the podium in a long time. German sponsors are necessary for FIS as well.
It'll be interesting to see what Niskanen does in tomorrow. If he can get in the top 30 and save some seconds, then he'll be a force. After that he can rely on the 15km classic handicap pursuit in Toblach, the classic sprint in Val Di Fiemme and of course the mass start 15km the day after. He'll fight for a podium spot, I am sure. I think realistically there are 7 or 8 men that could fight for the win. Klaebo the favorite, then you have Bolshunov, Cologna, Holund, Iversen, Krueger, Niskanen, Ustiugov. Iversen will struggle on Alpe Cermis. Cologna, Holund, Iversen, Krueger and Niskanen in the sprint and the two Russians will need to improve on their tactics from a year ago, where they lost the tour. If you guys remember, Bolshunov, Larkov, Sobokarev and Vylegzhanin drove the pace and dropped Ustiugov out of running for the stage and ultimately giving him too much of a deficit before the final climb. LIkewise, Bolshunov lost the stage and didn't help his cause for the podium. I am hopeful they implement better tactics this time around.
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