Not a fan of this mass start format, especially on a narrow path, where it's virtually impossible to pass. You have the two strongest teams basically roadblocking the final and whoever is in the top 8-10 will have a huge advantage. A handicap pursuit where everyone is for himself from the start, and those that have to catch up can try and do that. This completely took away that element of racing. This just felt really, really weird. I hope FIS and its head man, Pierre Mignerey, take a serious look at the format, take the criticism from the athletes and coaches seriously and make changes for next season. Don't leave this as a mass start, go back to an individual start. Don't give out so many bonus seconds for sprints, diversify the race a bit, replace a mass start with an individual, go back to having a prologue and bring back the Cortina to Toblach 30-35 km skate pursuit. Find a way to put in a 20 km skiathlon. They haven't had one of those in the last two seasons, which is a shame.
Perhaps the initial stadium run and the trail that leads to the Alpe really does fatigue skiers before they hit the climb proper. If you have to ski alone, it's tough to try and make up time, if you are in a group, you can go faster and you are not expending as much energy. That played a role today.
Really wanted Ustiugov to win. He's had a tough last two seasons with injuries and health issues, not beint in the Olympics two years ago, not 100% healthy in Seefeld... He may have gone too early to try and break away, but I didn't expect Bolshunov to hang around that long and then ski away from him.