Well I hope it’s just a ‘false positives’ and the next test(s) are negative and that all will be healthy and ready to race. Be a shame for an entire team to leave.
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Where in Italy would you have the 2026 Olympics skiing races? I'm just asking out of curiosity.Well, as always, Valentinstag di Fiemme suchst ass. Those Wrack 2.5km looks and the Sport climbs simply are not selektive enough. Whats a shame the 2026 Olympics will be raced there.
Brusson. Better tracks, it is A lot closer to Milano and has a biathlon venue, too. Would make so much more sense.Where in Italy would you have the 2026 Olympics skiing races? I'm just asking out of curiosity.
Problem is they already have two regional authorities involved in Lombardia and Veneto, and Brusson would necessitate a third (Aosta). Plus, you know full well that if they do go to Aosta they're more likely to let the biathletes have Brusson and put the XC in Cogne.Brusson. Better tracks, it is A lot closer to Milano and has a biathlon venue, too. Would make so much more sense.
Tanks a lot for your long and detailed answer. I fear the wont change an anything for 2026 and Keep the current tracks, though. Cogne would be better, too. I know organizing Winter Games these days is hard, but the Distance between the venues in 2026 is just awful. Milano to Val di Fiemme is 300km. That is lunacy. To Brusson it is only 160km. Still a lot but way better. The Milano Madonna combination is beyond ridicilous.Problem is they already have two regional authorities involved in Lombardia and Veneto, and Brusson would necessitate a third (Aosta). Plus, you know full well that if they do go to Aosta they're more likely to let the biathletes have Brusson and put the XC in Cogne.
Val di Fiemme also has a biathlon venue - it hosted the Universiade in 2013, I believe, when the competition was relocated to Trentino. In fact, if Val di Fiemme also held the biathlon it would probably be the best thing for the XC, as the biathlon range is in the field adjacent to the main XC stadium, and would render it impossible to do the little loop they do that puts the Zorzi climb in at the end of the course. That could enable them to put more focus on some of the better climbs in the Val di Fiemme complex, such as Pojer, which I am a fan of. It's one of those where it looks like you can see the top when you're going up there but it's almost an optical illusion that means you get to the top and there's somehow a bit more to do. The flip side of this would be that the biathlon would be absolutely horrid, because they'd wind up going through the XC stadium to get to the biathlon range, leading to almost half a kilometre of flat entering the range - no thanks - and the stands would be a long way from the range, killing the atmosphere in what is likely to be the most popular event for the crowds in a Nordic discipline, unless some Italian interest develops in XC shortly.
The one thing that could really work for XC in Val di Fiemme in 2026, however, is if they are going to insist on maintaining the current format and doing the long distance race in mass start... Lago di Tesero is only just across the road from Cavalese, right? They could always just do the stadium part of the course a few times (preferably incorporating as many climbs as possible to keep it as tough as they can) then skiing along the Pista Ciclabile Valli di Fiemme i Fassa for 5km or so as they usually do from the stadium in the Alpe Cermis pursuit race, but instead following the Marcialonga course and finishing with the Salita della Cascata. You sure as hell won't see any sprint that way if they make the race properly hilly first.
The overall concept of the 2026 Olympics is actually not bad. They gave the events to places that are already hosting WC races on a regular basis and/or have the infrastructure in place, so that the costs will be minimized.Tanks a lot for your long and detailed answer. I fear the wont change an anything for 2026 and Keep the current tracks, though. Cogne would be better, too. I know organizing Winter Games these days is hard, but the Distance between the venues in 2026 is just awful. Milano to Val di Fiemme is 300km. That is lunacy. To Brusson it is only 160km. Still a lot but way better. The Milano Madonna combination is beyond ridicilous.
Although they were held in the same cities, Sochi-Laura and Pyeongchang-Alpensia both had separate stadia for biathlon and XC skiing. 2006 was the last time they were held in entirely separate venues, however, with biathlon in Cesana-San Sicario and XC at Pragelato.Curious to see that cross-country skiing and biathlon will be held in two different venues. Its the first time that I remember it happening.
Speaking about biathlon, it seems that the these Norwegian podiums will start to become the 'new normal' with Samuelsson losing some of his shape and French still too erratic. At least Johannes Boe has been shooting poorly which is allowing an incredible Sturla Laegreid to give him a good fight for the overall with Dale and Tarjei not too far behind either.
In the women's, Eckhoff continues her victorius run and she is now second overall not too far from Olsbu. Nice to see Hauser getting a podium too.
I really dislike this change to a mass start format over the pursuit. Not as fun if a race at all.
Mike Dixon was doing Eurosport International solo on the pursuits yesterday. It was a vast improvement as by and large he covered the action that was happening. Patrick is back today, and by the end of lap 1 he has:
It may be a bit of a misnomer because the American team was anonymous in the pursuit as Egan fell away from contention and Dunklee hadn't qualified for the pursuit, but the difference was night and day.
- explained that as Tandrevold has not yet won a race on the World Cup, she should take inspiration from Rosie Brennan
- told Mike how he has been so impressed by Clare Egan this season and begged an explanation for why she fell 25 positions in the pursuit after a really good sprint
- explained that she must have been staying up late to watch the highlights of the Tour de Ski and take inspiration from the American cross-country skiers.
- completely ignored the shooting that is going on in order to talk about Diggins' and Brennan's results in the Tour de Ski.
They also widened the course and made it easier, the middle parts of the climb don’t seem to be as tough as they were, or maybe that’s just me. The mass start is actually harder for someone like Andersson, who can only really start to make inroads during the climb, whereas in a handicap start, she can start fast and try to keep that pace.
Unbelievable race from Claudel, it’s as if she was specifically targeting this race.
Can we get Ustigov to put some glitter on his face and pull the same stupid faces when he comes back? That would be hillarious.The Swedes were always going to be tough to beat in sprints, not a surprise to see them win. Not very good tactics employed by Stupak in the semis and Nepryaeva in the final. Rarely does one hold off those behind when there is such a significant draft effect. I also think the Swedes had the best skis all day.
Libertine, I am with you, I can’t stand Diggins’s fake expressions. It’s cringe.
Delphine Claudel is awesome. And Patricija Eiduka. 20 years old, on the Latvian team budget, and top 10 on the Alpe after a week of competition.