Official xc skiing world cup thread

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

northug is a wreck

good stuff!

Hellner and Legkov very good climbs.

 

[python]

northug is a wreck

good stuff!

Hellner and Legkov very good climbs.

my tentative accounting showing
2-3 second to legkov over hellner...he may be a winner today.

 

[DenisMenchov]

Hellner is really ripping this climb.

I think Legkov has almost the same time, maybe even the fastest.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I think Legkov has almost the same time, maybe even the fastest.

I think so too.

 

[python]

forums say monific won...but i dont thik so. it's legkov. confirmed by a fraction of a second

 

[Lupetto]

Legokov 30:38.2
Manificat 30:38.3
Hellner 30:39.9

 

[roundabout]

It's only 7 points difference between 1st and 3rd for a "stage". Peanuts compared to points for the overall.

 

[python]

Legokov 30:38.2
Manificat 30:38.3
Hellner 30:39.9

i think there were 2 factors that helped his winning today

(i) early race pacing by the 3 russians who started almost at the same time
(ii) increased upper body strength this year i analysed in an earlier post

 

[Ferminal]

Yeh as soon as I saw the Russian gang working together I thought Legkov was in for a good time.

Cortina pursuit the most decisive stage.

 

[DenisMenchov]

Yeh as soon as I saw the Russian gang working together I thought Legkov was in for a good time.

Cortina pursuit the most decisive stage.

Not really, Hellner and Legkov were better than Cologna in both stages.

 

[maltiv]

Not really, Hellner and Legkov were better than Cologna in both stages.

Don't underestimate the disadvantage of going alone (particularly downhill) versus coming in a group. The fact that Cologna managed to keep the gap to the chasing group behind during the downhill section practically constant goes to show how strong he was. I don't think any other skier could have done the same.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

How good was Darya Domracheva on the skis yesterday? When you catch and drop the skier who started a minute ahead of you, and that skier is Magdalena Neuner, you are on some serious skiing form.

 

[goggalor]

Can't believe Fourcade just missed out again!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Looks like Neuner's done a Darya, and has shot down the wrong set of targets when coming in to shooting 3 in the lead. Minus points for not doing the comical facepalm that Darya did when she did it though.

 

[goggalor]

Looks like Neuner's done a Darya, and has shot down the wrong set of targets when coming in to shooting 3 in the lead. Minus points for not doing the comical facepalm that Darya did when she did it though.

I wonder how many she hit? Funny how she realised she was aiming at the wrong set and got the last target down.

Shouldn't she have been DQ'd though?

 

[jsem94]

Gotta love the way Darya skates on the one-skate or gear 3 almost the entire duration of those climbs.

The rules are clear on cross fire though, you don't get DQ'd. It was also good for Tora that she won the race.

 

[Tyler'sTwin]

I wonder how many she hit? Funny how she realised she was aiming at the wrong set and got the last target down.

She closed 'em all.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I wonder how many she hit? Funny how she realised she was aiming at the wrong set and got the last target down.

Shouldn't she have been DQ'd though?

Darya wasn't DQd either when she did it. She also realised partway through and shot the final two rounds on the correct range. And when Darya did it it was a Mass Start too, which is more of an issue with only 30 people and them often closer together. Incidentally, the athlete being moved around by the screw-up that day was also Tora Berger, though she didn't go on to win that time.

However, Darya was DQd a year earlier when she, also in the Mass Start at Oberhof, turned up at shooting 2 and elected to shoot from stand when everybody else was in prone. She seemed totally baffled by the targets not going down when she seemed to be hitting them.

Here's Darya being DQd in Oberhof '09:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1H8VCU3xvY

Here's Darya with comedy facepalm action in Oberhof '10:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QKtNqWacjM

 

[Amsterhammer]

There's something seriously wrong!

Two jumping competitions in Bad Mitterndorf in one day and neither won by an Austrian!? What happened to the fix?

Schlierenzauer would have won, but was correctly disqualified for a broken zipper!

 

[TomasC]

How good was Darya Domracheva on the skis yesterday? When you catch and drop the skier who started a minute ahead of you, and that skier is Magdalena Neuner, you are on some serious skiing form.

Lena 20s faster today, probably because of trying to catch up for the cross-fire.
Darya is fast as hell, however.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Neuner is perfectly timing her Running shape towards the Worlds. She'll toast everyone there, while Domratschewa will fall off.

 

[TomasC]

Neuner is perfectly timing her Running shape towards the Worlds. She'll toast everyone there, while Domratschewa will fall off.

That's what I think as well. Still enough to lead the world cup though

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Lena 20s faster today, probably because of trying to catch up for the cross-fire.
Darya is fast as hell, however.

In the Individual she was ridiculously quick. I love Darya Domracheva. Guaranteed entertainment. Lena you would still say is quicker on average over the course of a season, and likely quite comfortably. But Darya, along with Mäkäräinen, occasionally Berger and Gößner (she seems to have finally come into form, coming from 37th to 11th today and having the kind of ski time we know she's capable of) dependent on form, make up the chasing pack, of whom I'd say right now Darya is the quickest, but at other times Kaisa might be.

 

[TomasC]

In the Individual she was ridiculously quick...

Yeah I spent a great deal of time figuring how they let the No. 27 start before 25 )
We'll see at the end of the season, now it's usually Darya, then Kaisa, then Lena.
Wiki says last year Lena was the quickest in 57% of the races, and second quickest in another 33%. I think this season it's more balanced.

The Worlds in Ruhpolding play an important role, however, and it seems Neuner is very careful to peak right there.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Sadly the Rupholding slopes seem to be not as selective as othe rones. So probably in order to win in Rupholding shooting wil be the main key.