Official xc skiing world cup thread

[Bavarianrider]

WTF are you talking about? Are you suggesting that the pauses due to wind conditions were somehow deliberate ploys to help the local lads? If you do you're stark raving mad. The Polish jumper went last, after Koffler and Schlierenzauer and could have won if he'd pulled out a big enough jump - but he couldn't. Ito was obviously blown out of the sky on purpose by a hidden Austrian wind machine.

I think your envy and hatred is seriously affecting your rational judgement.

ITo and the Polish jumper couldn't cause they had such a bad wind. When there was bad wind nefore the Austrian jumpers the jury waited. Heck in Oberstdorf they even cancelled it.
I have a hatred towards such a piece of unsporstmanship bevahior, yes.

 

[Sylvester]

Ito was certainly screwed by the jury, though. I mean, 91 m? A bad jump, yes, but even with a bad jump he should have made 110 m or something like that, like all the ski jumpers before him.

 

[DenisMenchov]

Ito had +15.1 wind, I mean that surely is not safe. And the guy with second highest wind coeficient was Stoch with +7. Shame, real shame. They are ruining one of my favourite things in sport.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Over in Oberhof, Magdalena Neuner has a total freakout in front of her home fans. FOUR penalty loops in a relay on the final shoot when Germany were sailing home. That's ludicrous. Even Gößner can shoot better than that. Russia take the win, good shooting from Olga Vilukhina at the end allows her to hold off Tora Berger and that suspiciously suddenly world class Norwegian quartet. Another day to forget for the Swedes - following up 10th at Hochfilzen with 7th here, and a rare collector's item: Helena Ekholm on the penalty loop in a relay. Only 14 teams (after Finland recorded a DNS, not sure why), which is a bit of a surprise.

 

[Nastyy]

Only 14 teams (after Finland recorded a DNS, not sure why), which is a bit of a surprise.

Mari Laukkanen has a stomach bug and Finland only has 4 women in Oberhof.

Exciting day tomorrow in Tour de Ski. Chance to pull back even big gaps. Hellner, Bauer, Manificat, Harvey, Kershaw and Vilegzhanin will catch lonely Legkov for sure and if it snows hard they might even catch Northug and Cologna. I have a feeling Northug won't work with Cologna which makes it easier for the others to gain on them.

In women's race Björgen and Kowalczyk will only fight each other, while Johaug will try to gain as much time as possible. I'm really rooting for Johaug to win this, can get under a minute off the leader before last stage she's my favorite for the win. Kalla and Lähteenmäki will catch Randall and the trio will probably finish together, well ahead the chase group behind them. The chase group starting from Saarinen could get really big.

 

[Ferminal]

Sad to see Johaug so far behind after the sprints. I was hoping that she would be around a minute back, and an outside catch them tonight. I hope Bjorgen tries to break Kowalczyk though, rather than hold hands until the finish.

The men are a lot more prone to bunching up, and starting out going uphill may mean that the front two are caught rather quickly. I hope not though and again, hope Northug takes it up to Cologna. Either that or maybe Cologna will be unable to match him in the sprints on Saturday, but he was fine doing that in the Skiathlon. Cologna is in the prime position I believe, unless Northug thinks he can outclimb him.

 

[goggalor]

Over in Oberhof, Magdalena Neuner has a total freakout in front of her home fans. FOUR penalty loops in a relay on the final shoot when Germany were sailing home. That's ludicrous. Even Gößner can shoot better than that. Russia take the win, good shooting from Olga Vilukhina at the end allows her to hold off Tora Berger and that suspiciously suddenly world class Norwegian quartet. Another day to forget for the Swedes - following up 10th at Hochfilzen with 7th here, and a rare collector's item: Helena Ekholm on the penalty loop in a relay. Only 14 teams (after Finland recorded a DNS, not sure why), which is a bit of a surprise.

Why do they have that many relays anyway? They're so boring when there's nothing at stake.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Why do they have that many relays anyway? They're so boring when there's nothing at stake.

I totally agree. Relays should only be at the Olympics and Worlds.

 

[roundabout]

Sad to see Johaug so far behind after the sprints. I was hoping that she would be around a minute back, and an outside catch them tonight. (1)I hope Bjorgen tries to break Kowalczyk though, rather than hold hands until the finish.

The men are a lot more prone to bunching up, and starting out going uphill may mean that the front two are caught rather quickly. I hope not though and (2)again, hope Northug takes it up to Cologna. Either that or maybe Cologna will be unable to match him in the sprints on Saturday, but he was fine doing that in the Skiathlon. Cologna is in the prime position I believe, unless Northug thinks he can outclimb him.

I didn't know that you are rooting for the dominant skiers of this season.

 

[goggalor]

Wow, Northug dropped with 30 km to go.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Northug cracked

 

[Nastyy]

Northug totally cracks. He can say byebye to overall and will struggle to even podium at this rate.

 

[python]

amazing cologna...v2-ing up a steep hill. northug is paying for his hard sprinting efforts, methinks. love this tactical stage...

 

[maltiv]

Wow, Cologna is a monster. He's making Northug look like an amateur, one of the most spectacular and surprising cracks I've ever seen, I mean he basically stood still...

Cologna is simply the best stageracer, hands down.

 

[roundabout]

Here's hoping that the 1st chase group works well together

 

[Nastyy]

Wow, Cologna is a monster. He's making Northug look like an amateur, one of the most spectacular and surprising cracks I've ever seen, I mean he basically stood still...

Cologna is simply the best stageracer, hands down.

Cologna is a beast but it wasn't his fast pace that made Northug drop, Northug is just really tired. The Chase group with Manificat is coming much faster than Cologna. And seems like the others have trouble following Manificat.

 

[python]

even legkov closed about 18 seconds on northug...

 

[roundabout]

Yeah, Hellner already gained something like 30 seconds

 

[Nastyy]

Oh Bauer fell and broke a pole, this stage is going to be really hard for him now. Manificat at Hellner putting the hurt on Kershaw and Chernousov. Chernousov will drop in matter of seconds.

 

[roundabout]

Well, Northug is still with Legkov

 

[python]

legkov and northug together with northug is 'sucking ski'

 

[Nastyy]

The Manificat group looks to be working together really well, they will catch Legkov and Northug.

 

[roundabout]

For a moment Hellner looked to be in difficulty unless he took his drink before

 

[maltiv]

Maybe Northug simply forgot to warm up?

 

[Nastyy]

Northug is already looking behind, Manificat group can't be too far. Haha Cologna almost went the wrong way