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Tag: 2014/2015 SuperTour

  • Patterson on Her World Cup Leap: ‘Nothing is Quite the Same’

    Patterson on Her World Cup Leap: ‘Nothing is Quite the Same’

    Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) racing to 51st the classic-sprint qualifier on March 11 in Drammen, Norway. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)
    Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) racing to 51st the classic-sprint qualifier on March 11 in Drammen, Norway. (Photo: Fischer/NordicFocus)

    Caitlin Patterson, a member of the Craftsbury Green Racing Project, recently returned to the U.S. after her first time racing the World Cup in Europe. In February, she traveled to Rogla, Slovenia, to compete in two Alpen Cup races before making her World Cup debut on March 7 in Lahti, Finland.

    Patterson, 25, competed in a sprint and a 10-kilometer classic in Lahti, followed by the Drammen city sprints in Norway and the 30 k freestyle mass start at Holmenkollen in Oslo, Norway. She placed between 50th and 53rd in each of her four World Cup starts.

    Prior to earning those starts, Patterson explained in an email she was consumed by the busy spring race season and overlooked the points calculation, despite usually being attentive to results and rankings. So when U.S. Ski Team coaches sent her an email explaining that she would likely earn World Cup starts as the SuperTour distance leader, it caught her by surprise.

    “It was actually good timing for me personally,” Patterson wrote. “I had been extremely sick and then was still recovering during the Craftsbury race weekend and had sub-par races that I was not particularly happy about.  So finding out about the World Cup opportunity really helped me recover and get healthy so I could get back to training.”

    Though she did not explicitly set World Cup starts as a goal, she did aim for overseas starts in the form of the OPA/Alpen Cup to continue building race experience.

    “World Cup starts were ‘on the radar’ as something I really wanted to earn,” she explained. “A way to make progress towards racing faster, but I also aimed to qualify for the US OPA Cup trip, to be able to race in Europe in at least some capacity to test myself against a larger variety of racers and deep competitive fields.”

    In December 2012, Patterson qualified and competed in three World Cup races in Canmore, Alberta, where she notched a personal best of 44th in the 15 k skiathlon. Her decision to not make the World Cup a specific goal this year was one of several careful calculations she made in managing her season.

    “I usually set up my goals not so much in terms of specific results, but as overall objectives that may be a little more ambiguously interpreted,” the Anchorage, Alaska, native explained. “I have high expectations for myself, but I also feel that setting strict results goals may not be productive, if it opens up the possibility to make me unhappy if I do not achieve the goals.”

    She allowed herself one specific objective: to earn at least one podium at U.S. nationals in January. She achieved it, placing second in the 20 k classic mass start in Houghton, Mich.

    Apart from that, she kept her racing goals non-specific.

    “Warm up really well for every race, work on being able to sustain higher tempo for races, learn something about [myself] or how to ski faster from every race and then apply it, and enjoy racing,” she wrote.

    ‘Don’t Get Derailed’

    Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) racing to fourth in the women's 10 k freestyle at 2015 Cross Country Championships in early January in Houghton, Mich. Patterson also notched second in the 20 k classic mass start at nationals.
    Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) racing to fourth in the women’s 10 k freestyle at 2015 Cross Country Championships in early January in Houghton, Mich. Patterson also notched second in the 20 k classic mass start at nationals.

    In terms of setting goals, Patterson gave a detailed description of her thought process.

    “I tried to approach the races as I would any other racing event,” she wrote. “Don’t get derailed by course closures or last-minute changes of plans, test wax and skis decisively, warm up well, arrive at the start ready to go, and push myself to ski as fast as possible during the race.”

    At the highest international level, keeping that process on track can be difficult.

    “Nothing is quite the same at the World Cup, with different wax techs, stricter rules about course access, and the stars of the World Cup circuit zooming around passing you during warm up like you’re standing still,” Patterson explained. “I didn’t quite manage to keep my preparation under control the way I wanted it to be [at my first World Cup], and a combination of factors caused me not to be able to kick my classic skis in the 10k race in Lahti, which was brutally tough on the steep climbs of Lahti.”

    She finished 50th in that classic distance race, a day after placing 51st in the freestyle sprint in Lahti.

    For most North American skiers, it’s a massive transition to the big stage and the crowds of European World Cup racing. In the classic-sprint qualifier in Drammen, Patterson had an “only-at-the-World-Cup” experience.

    “I was sprinting up towards the finish, looking up the last bit of the hill towards the finish line, zeroing in on where I needed to get to as fast as possible,” she wrote. “There is a giant screen behind the finish, showing racers from around the course, and as I strode towards the finish I caught a glimpse of the screen, and my thoughts went something like ‘Who’s that? Oh, that’s me! I better go faster, it doesn’t really look like I’m sprinting fast enough.’ It’s funny to have the immediate-feedback of a live video screen come across your vision during a race, it caught me by surprise to see myself.”

    Asked specifically about Holmenkollen, Oslo’s flagship venue, Patterson explained it was hard to put into words.

    “Some of the photos of the races come close to capturing the essence, but even that doesn’t give you an idea of the sound,” she wrote. “There are still clear, wide ribbons of snow to race along, just like every race, but the sound of the crowd overwhelms just about all other senses. And you feel as though you are always in the spotlight, many eyes follow you around the course. The cheering is great — I was skiing by myself for the last 10-15k of the 30k, and all along the course I was engulfed in cheers of ‘U-S-A’ and ‘Cait-lin–Cait-lin…’ ”

    “The sound of the crowd overwhelms just about all other senses. And you feel as though you are always in the spotlight, many eyes follow you around the course…” — Caitlin Patterson, on racing the Holmenkollen 30 k for the first time

    Mixed Feelings

    Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) racing to ninth in the 10 k classic individual start on March 21 at 2015 Super Tour Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho.
    Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) racing to ninth in the 10 k classic individual start on March 21 at 2015 Super Tour Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho.

    Looking back, Patterson couldn’t pinpoint a particular World Cup race she was most proud of: “They all had high and low points and most of all many chances for learning how to race better,” she wrote. “I’m proud that I approached each race as a new day and believed in myself, and gave everything I had on that day.”

    Even after coming out on top in the SuperTour and making it to her first European World Cups, Patterson had a hard time fighting the feeling that she didn’t meet her potential.

    “I’m feeling happy with some of the season, but also more than some years, I feel like I have had relatively few races where I’ve really put together my fitness with good skis, competitive fields, and the right preparation to show how well I can actually race,” she wrote. “It takes many pieces coming together to have a truly excellent race, and I need to get better at putting the pieces together on the right day.”

    “The World Cup experience was a highlight — racing in Finland and Norway and the opportunity to race against the best in the world, and to start learning how to become competitive with them,” she added. “But the way I felt in the World Cup distance races particularly was not good. I have had a few races this season that stand out as highlights — the 20 k classic at US Nationals and the 20 k classic at Craftsbury where I won my first Supertour, and actually I felt the very best of this season so far in a 5 k skate race in January in Rumford that was a combined Eastern Cup and college carnival.”

    For Patterson, now it is about learning how to use her racing this season to build towards bigger things in the future. She is particularly focused on race preparation and identifying weaknesses, being consistent across all event formats and distances, skiing with greater confidence and power, “and most of all faster.” She’s also aiming for more World Cup starts next season.

    “I don’t want to be a 50th-plus place World Cup skier, but I’ll have to live with those results until I can earn the chance to prove to myself and everyone else that I can ski better,” she wrote. “I’m dreaming of being truly competitive in the World Cup in the future!”

  • Course-Side Quotes: Catching Up with U.S. Nationals Top Dogs

    Course-Side Quotes: Catching Up with U.S. Nationals Top Dogs

    Rosie Brennan (Alaska Pacific University)
    Women’s SuperTour leader Rosie Brennan (Alaska Pacific University) getting some race prep in Saturday morning before the first race of 2015 U.S. Cross Country Championships on Sunday: the 10/15 k freestyle individual starts at the Michigan Tech Trails in Houghton, Mich.

    HOUGHTON, Mich. — After touching down in Houghton later Friday afternoon, FasterSkier chatted with a couple of podium favorites at the U.S. Cross Country Championships over the next week, including World Cup and top SuperTour skiers. The first race of 2015 nationals kicks off Sunday at 10 a.m. with the women’s 10 k freestyle individual start, followed by the men’s 15 k freestyle at 1 p.m. at the Michigan Tech Trails.

    ***

    – Rosie Brennan (Alaska Pacific University)

    Women’s overall SuperTour leader, who earned World Cup start rights after nationals with her November-December results

    Last two races: 1st Bozeman SuperTour classic sprint (Dec. 6), Bozeman SuperTour 10 k classic (Dec. 7)

    On period between Bozeman SuperTour in early December and U.S. nationals: 

    “It’s been a little weird because I was actually dryland training in Utah for a few weeks and then I had a week-and-a-half of OK skiing, so it feels like I’m starting my season over again. I actually have really fond memories of racing here so I think it’s a good mindset to be in. “

    On the where she’s at:

    “I’ve been working on a lot of more process-oriented things in my racing. If I do that, more result-oriented goals will follow. I had a really good summer of training; I think I just learned a lot over the last season more in terms of just how to be a better racer and I think that’s proven really helpful in being able to use the fitness that I’ve gained over the summer more effectively.”

    On racing the World Cup starts after nationals: 

    “I’m just looking to use what I’ve learned from my past experiences on the World Cup and hope to improve upon other times I’ve had over there.”

    Caitlin Patterson gliding through the finish during Saturday morning race prep at the Michigan Tech Trails in Houghton, Mich. U.S. nationals kick off Sunday in Houghton with the 10/15 k freestyle individual starts.
    Caitlin Patterson gliding through the finish during Saturday morning race prep at the Michigan Tech Trails in Houghton, Mich. U.S. nationals kick off Sunday in Houghton with the 10/15 k freestyle individual starts.

    – Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project)

    Second-overall ranked SuperTour woman

    Last two races: 4th in 10 k skate at Besh Cup in Anchorage, Alaska (Dec. 21), 6th in Besh Cup skate sprint (Dec. 20)

    On racing again:

    “I’m looking forward to another round of competition. It was fun to start off the SuperTour like always in West Yellowstone and Bozeman, and those races went well but I still felt like I was rounding into good shape and figuring out some early season bugs. So I’ve been feeling good and I’m looking forward to these, to fight it out again and there’s a lot of fast people here so it should be pretty cool.”

    On skiing the skiing Anchorage (in late December):

    “Anchorage has really low snow, so it actually wasn’t as bad as I’d expected. I brought rock skis and used them a lot, but there was snow. I skied every day. The [Besh Cup] races were a little bit changed from what they had planned, like we did a sprint that was not even 900-meters long, a skate sprint, so that was funny, but it was good, enough to throw off your balance a little bit. I was there until [Thursday] and then I flew here. ”

    On U.S. nationals goals:

    “I’m definitely shooting for some podiums; I see that top fives should certainly be within my reach. We’ve raced on the SuperTour with a lot of these girls, everyone except Caitlin Gregg has been around and we’ve been bouncing back and forth a bit, so I guess just looking forward to putting out there whatever I can and see how it turns out.”

    On what she needs to do to succeed:

    “Keeping nerves in check a little bit, but I think it’s good to get a little bit nervous because it shows that you care about it and care about racing and are ready for it. It’s sort of just part of the preparation. I definitely need to get in a good warmup — that’s one of the things I’ve been trying to focus on this year because it’s pretty important to come into the races right from the first kilometer, not start slowly and try to wake up … Then just keep in the zone and have a lot of focus during the races and go for it. ”

    Chelsea Holmes (Alaska Pacific University)
    Chelsea Holmes (Alaska Pacific University) training on Saturday morning at the Michigan Tech Trails, the day before U.S. nationals kick off in Houghton, Mich.

    – Chelsea Holmes (APU)

    Third overall

    Last two races: 2nd in 10 k skate at Besh Cup in Anchorage, Alaska (Dec. 21), 5th in Besh Cup skate sprint (Dec. 20)

    On first impressions of the conditions at Michigan Tech: 

    “Great, lots of snow, it’s cold, hard wax so I’m pretty happy so far.”

    On memories of Houghton [when it last hosted U.S. nationals in 2007 and 2008]: 

    “Those races, I don’t remember anything of the actual experience, which seems silly, other than I remember it being really warm. I did senior nationals those years when I was in college and I had never done it prior, but I mean, I think my first year of senior nationals I was close to the one-hundreds and maybe the second year I was in the forties or fifties. It was the first races of college skiing and it was just race as fast as you could.”

    On how it feels to be in Houghton now, in the top three overall?

    “Not too different. I’ve tried to make the switch where I’m just going out and having fun, but also, the races are a big deal and you want to do as well as you can, but I try to keep it in the context of, it’s a race and there’s only so much I can control … I can’t control how everyone else skis, so I can, even if I have a terrible day, I would like to say, I’m happy with that. That’s my goal.”

    On her target race(s):

    “I’m definitely a stronger distance skier so I would say those [races] more, but I’m really working on improving my sprinting, so I’ve discovered that if I try to stress about that less, that can be fun, too. Honestly, I’m really excited about the whole week. I think it should be really fun, and I love to race so four races in a week is a good bang for your buck.”

    – Caitlin Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus)

    2013/2014 women’s overall SuperTour winner, started 2014/2015 season on World Cup

    Last two races: 47th in Davos World Cup sprint (Dec. 21), 54th in Davos 10 k freestyle (Dec. 20)

    On how she feels heading into nationals, her first domestic races of the season: 

    “I’m feeling pretty good. I think the one thing that I’ve realized, though, is I don’t know where I’m at. I always say, ‘I’m never 100-percent confident going into a race,’ or anything like that. I’m always like, anything could happen. I could have a great day, but then someone could have an even-better day so anything is always possible. Going forward, I’d say I feel good, energy feels good, but we’ll have to see what happens. … It is definitely fun to be back and have the whole [Loppet Nordic Racing] crew here, our club team, for Brian and I to be training with and prepping with.”

    On how she’s recovered since four weekends of World Cup racing in Europe:

    “I ended up taking a number of days off from training when I got home and a number of days off from skiing. I’ve been pretty conservative, trying to maintain my fitness, but also kept things really short, kept things kind of focused on not pushing the body too far.”

    And after contracting shingles at the start of the season in Muonio, Finland (as explained in an email):

    “The small rash healed up in less than 3 days and was never as painful as others have shared in their stories! I felt a little tired and lethargic for about a week (but I also just traveled 24 hours to Europe!). After taking it easy I resumed normal training and my energy felt great, especially at the lower intensities, but when I went to race I realized that my highest gear wasn’t quite there.

    “It wasn’t until the second weekend in Davos, when it was a 10K Skate race at altitude and should have been my best race, that I realized the virus might have zapped me a bit more than I thought. I am still not sure if it had any affect on my race results though?

    “I decided to get home and give myself a good couple of weeks to recover. I went to Hayward with Brian and didn’t train for 5 days. After that I started jogging easy and finally began skiing after a week. I feel great, especially at lower intensities, but I still don’t know where my energy at higher intensities is? I am excited to race and look forward to the rest of the season!”

    On goals at nationals:

    “For sure, when you’re on the World Cup and you’re kind of getting toward the back of the pack, you’re kind of like, ‘Man, that really doesn’t feel so good.’ I can deal with it, but you’re like, ‘It would be fun to feel good and finish a race,’ and be like, ‘All right, that was fun again.’ The races are fun over there for sure, but I want it to be a good feeling all around. Feel good energy, feel great skis and obviously great course, and have everyone I know here for it.”

    On how she’s feeling about Sunday’s 10 k skate, her target race:

    “I’m really excited about it. I love this course. I heard there was going to be a little adverse weather conditions and that kind of gets me excited, too. We kind of get a lot of that in the Birkie and I’m kind of preparing for it in a similar way where you never know, is there going to be a lot of snow? Is it going to be blowing sideways where the windchill’s just horrific? All that just makes it more interesting.”

    ***

    Matt Gelso racing to first in the West Yellowstone SuperTour 15 k freestyle on Nov. 29, 2014. (Photo: Toko)
    Matt Gelso racing to a win in the first distance race of the season at the West Yellowstone SuperTour 15 k freestyle on Nov. 29. (Photo: Toko)

    – Matt Gelso (Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation)

    Second-overall ranked SuperTour male, first American, who earned World Cup start rights after nationals

    Last two races: 6th Rossland NorAm 10 k classic (Dec. 13), 2nd Rossland NorAm 15 k classic (Dec. 14)

    On how he’s been feeling in the time since those races:

    “I’m feeling good. I got a strong solid block of training in California during Christmas. I managed, knock on wood, to not get sick. I’d like to feel good and be up in the results. I know I’m skiing good and skiing fast; I want to set myself up well to go to Europe and  have a platform at least and try and have some success over there.”

    – Miles Havlick (SVSEF)

    Fourth overall in the SuperTour, second American

    Last two races: 2nd Bozeman SuperTour 15 k classic (Dec. 7), 9th Rossland NorAm 10 k classic (Dec. 13)

    On arriving in Houghton: 

    “It’s been fantastic. The conditions are as good as they get. I had a little bit of illness after Rossland but a little time at home fixed that.”

    On racing prospects: 

    “I’d like to have a few podiums. That’s my goal. I think with these trails – the laps are long – the race is going to be a little different than we’re used to so pacing is very important. Warming up well in the cold temperatures and gritting your teeth and staying focused in the race.”

    Kris Freeman on his way to winning the 30 k freestyle interval start by more than a minute and a half on Dec. 20 at the Sovereign Lake NorAm in Vernon, B.C. (Photo: Frances Weeks)
    Kris Freeman on his way to winning the Sovereign Lake NorAm 30 k freestyle by more than a minute and a half on Dec. 20 in Vernon, B.C. (Photo: Frances Weeks)

    – Kris Freeman (Team Freebird)

    Seventh overall in SuperTour, Canadian NorAm leader

    Last two races: 1st in Sovereign Lake NorAm 30 k skate (Dec. 20), 1st in Rossland NorAm 15 k classic (Dec. 14); has won every NorAm he’s entered this year.

    On how he’s feeling:

    “It’s been a couple weeks now since I raced, but I had good momentum coming out of the NorAms in Canada so I feel good and good on my skis and looking forward to racing.”

    On goals at nationals:

    “I want to keep on having the good sensations that I’ve been having racing. When I’m skiing well, skiing is just so fun. And to be skiing well again this year, I’m really enjoying it.”

    – Paddy Caldwell (Stratton Mountain School T2 Team/Dartmouth)

    21st overall in SuperTour, U.S. Ski Team D-team member who skipped the Bozeman SuperTour and is focusing on 2015 U23 World Championships in Kazakhstan

    Last two races: 4th Middlebury Eastern Cup 10 k classic (Dec. 20), 1st Middlebury Eastern Cup 15 k skate (Dec. 21)

    On goals for the week:

    “My goal is to, honestly, feel good racing. I always have a rougher start at the beginning of the season. I’m starting to feel good so I’m hoping to race as hard as I can and feel good about the effort about the performance.”

    On racing blueprint for rest of the season:

    “My plan is to head back to Dartmouth after the races to start classes and feel it out from there.”

    – Reese Hanneman (APU)

    2013/2014 men’s overall SuperTour winner, started 2014/2015 season on World Cup

    Last two races: 86th Davos World Cup skate sprint (Dec. 14), 79th Davos World Cup 15 k classic (Dec. 13)

    On what he’s been up to since: 

    “I came back from Europe on the World Cup [around Dec. 17] before Christmas and have been in Anchorage for a week then Fairbanks for a week then here.”

    On re-entering the domestic-racing scene:

    “This is the first year that I’ve done the World Cup to start off my season. That was different and obviously a huge learning experience and I didn’t perform like I wanted to or like I knew I can, but I got a lot out of it. It was really productive. So now to come to nationals, I remember maybe a couple years ago where I’d come to nationals and be stressing out like, ‘Oh man, this is such a big race,’ and now it seems pretty relaxed. It’s more homey. It feels like less of a mob scene. I guess it makes me a little more comfortable here.”

    On his memories of Houghton (at Junior Nationals in 2006 and senior nationals in 2007):

    “All of the races as a junior … here, I really struggled. I remember being way, way back in the pack, like, hundreds except for the skate sprint at U.S. nationals here. I had a really uncharacteristically good race and that got me to World Juniors [Championships in 2008]. At the time I didn’t even know what World Juniors was, but I had just made it and that ended up being really sweet. I remember coming up that hill on the sprint course here and passing everybody [laughs].

    “To be honest, that’s probably a race or a day or even a moment that probably got me to where I am now. because who knows, if I hadn’t done well that day, maybe I wouldn’t have gone to World Juniors and I wouldn’t have kept skiing, you know? So I remember that and I have some good memories and it’s been a while so I’m looking to ski a lot faster than I did when I was here.”

    On goals this time around at nationals:

    “I always want to do well at nationals. Obviously the World Cup is sweet and I would’ve loved to have performed better there, but U.S. nationals is still some of the biggest races, and maybe not the highest level of race that I’ll do this year, but pretty important just to qualify for [international-racing] teams and all that stuff.”

    10/15 k start lists (scroll down past first 200 racers for women)

  • Strøm Surges Past Havlick to Win Bozeman SuperTour 15 k Classic

    Strøm Surges Past Havlick to Win Bozeman SuperTour 15 k Classic

    With temperatures above 40 degrees, the men take off in their SuperTour 15 k classic mass start at Bohart Ranch near Bozeman, Mont.
    With temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the men take off in Sunday’s SuperTour 15 k classic mass start at Bohart Ranch near Bozeman, Mont.

    BOZEMAN, Mont. — In yet another thrilling men’s SuperTour finish, Mads Strøm of the University of Colorado outsprinted Miles Havlick of the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF) Gold Team on Sunday to win the men’s 15-kilometer classic mass start at Bohart Ranch.

    Strøm finished fast and icy three-lap course in 40:55.3, holding off Havlick by 0.7 seconds. Havlick’s teammate Matt Gelso racked up another SuperTour podium in third (+9.9), after placing third in Saturday’s classic sprint. Brian Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) finished 27.4 seconds back in fourth.

    Kris Freeman (Team Freebird), who was fourth in Saturday’s sprint, finished another 10 seconds back in fifth. Strøm’s CU teammate, Rune Ødegård, placed sixth (+48.4) after starting the final 5 k lap in second.

    Havlick jumped out to an early lead and held it for most of the race, entering the last lap 8 seconds ahead of the chase group of Ødegård, Freeman, Gregg and Gelso. Strøm was 15 seconds behind.

    Mads Strøm (CU) celebrates after winning the men's SuperTour 15 k classic mass start near Bozeman, Mont., while Miles Havlick (SVSEF) finishes 0.7 seconds behind.
    Mads Strøm (CU) celebrates after winning the men’s SuperTour 15 k classic mass start near Bozeman, Mont., while Miles Havlick (SVSEF) finishes 0.7 seconds behind.

    “I noticed my skis were running pretty well, better than other guys in the pack, so I just decided to pick up the pace and see what would happen,” Havlick said of the first 10 k.

    However, Havlick felt the gap closing throughout the last 5 k, and was caught by Strøm as they entered the stadium.

    “I was hoping I could get him at the finish, because I know I have a pretty good finishing speed,” Havlick said. “But this time he got me.”

    Strøm said that while he was “struggling” through the first two laps, his double poling was strong and he felt his confidence grow throughout the race. By the final lap, he was warmed up and ready to make his move.

    “With four kilometers left I got the killer instinct and just tried to win. I double poled as much as I could – that’s one of my strongest strides,” the 23-year-old Strøm said.

    As Gelso and Havlick began to pull away down the final stretch, Strøm hung with them, double poling past Gelso and catching Havlick on the final hill. He then passed Havlick in the stadium and held him off in a furious sprint to the finish.

    After a disappointing result in Saturday’s sprint — when Gelso and Havlick beat him in the quarterfinals — Strøm was “really satisfied” with the result. “I feel great,” he said.

    Gelso skied a strong final lap, separating himself from Gregg, Freeman and Ødegård while trying to catch his teammate.

    Matt Gelso (SVSEF) double poles through the stadium on his way to his second third-place finish of the weekend in the men's SuperTour 15 k classic mass start near Bozeman, Mont.
    Matt Gelso (SVSEF) double poles through the stadium on his way to his second third-place finish of the weekend in the men’s SuperTour 15 k classic mass start near Bozeman, Mont.

    “I was feeling pretty good, my skis were really fast, and I threw down hard to try to catch Miles,” Gelso explained. “But I did it such that I would gap the people I was with, so that I wouldn’t drag everybody up to my teammate. I made a conscious effort to go hard.”

    However, Gelso did bring Strøm along with him.

    “He’s good at conserving, sitting in and then going hard when it’s important,” Gelso explained.

    After racing through slushy snow on Saturday, Gelso enjoyed the firmer conditions, saying the course was much faster than during the sprint. However, he noted that the racers had to be incredibly careful on some sections and corners, especially where the previously wet snow had been groomed.

    In those places, “the corduroy got melted in so it was like smooth ice, and that was a little bit scary,” he said. “You can’t hold a plastic edge in that.”

    Meanwhile, the course was kinder to Havlick than it was on Saturday — “I definitely wanted to stay on my feet today,” he said. Havlick fell during his sprint semifinal of the sprint and missed advancing to the final.

    Havlick was excited about what he called “the first really good result for the season.”

    “It’s a confidence builder,” said the former NCAA champion in the 20 k. “I know my form is coming around.”

    The next SuperTour races take place Jan. 4-10 at U.S. nationals in Houghton, Mich.

     

    Men’s 15 k classic top 10 | full results

    1. Mads Strøm (CU) 40:55.3

    2. Miles Havlick (SVSEF) +0.7

    3. Matt Gelso (SVSEF) +9.9

    4. Brian Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) +27.4

    5. Kris Freeman (Team Freebird) +37.0

    6. Rune Ødegård (CU) +48.4

    7. David Norris (APU) +1:02.1

    8. Eric Packer (APU) +1:14.2

    9. Benjamin Lustgarten (SVSEF) +1:20.4

    10. Alexander Treinen (APU) +1:41.4

     

  • Brennan Continues to Dominate SuperTour, Winning Bozeman 10 k Classic

    Brennan Continues to Dominate SuperTour, Winning Bozeman 10 k Classic

    Race organizers delayed by an hour the start of the women's SuperTour 10 k classic mass start at Bohart Ranch near Bozeman, Mont., in order to let the course thaw.
    Race organizers delayed the start of the women’s SuperTour 10 k classic mass start by an hour Sunday at Bohart Ranch near Bozeman, Mont., in order to let the course thaw.

    BOZEMAN, Mont. — Rosie Brennan of Alaska Pacific University (APU) overcame what she called her “least favorite conditions” to notch her third-straight SuperTour victory on Sunday in the women’s 10-kilometer classic mass start at Bohart Ranch.

    Saturday’s 45-degree temperatures left the course fast and icy upon freezing overnight, making the numerous corners even trickier. Race officials delayed Sunday’s race by an hour to allow for the 40-degree weather to help thaw the course.

    But the conditions did not stop Brennan, 26, and teammate Chelsea Holmes from immediately breaking away from the rest of the pack. They maintained a safe distance throughout the two laps, and Holmes completed the first 5 k lap with a 1-second lead over Brennan.

    Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) holds a slim lead over Becca Rorabaugh (APU) during a sprint to the finish of the Bozeman SuperTour women's 15 k classic mass start.
    Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) holds a slim lead over Becca Rorabaugh (APU) for fourth place during a sprint to the finish of the Bozeman SuperTour women’s 15 k classic mass start.

    However, Brennan would take over on the second lap, cruising into the stadium with the lead and finishing in 31:07. Holmes’s final charge came up 5.2 seconds short.

    Katharine Ogden, 17, of the Stratton Mountain School (SMS) – who was second at last weekend’s 10 k freestyle in West Yellowstone – finished in third, 1:20 behind the APU skiers. Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) was in fourth (+1:30.8), narrowly beating APU’s Becca Rorabaugh by 0.3 seconds in a sprint finish. Sloan Storey of the University of Utah was sixth (+1:59.4).

    Holmes said she lost her small lead on the second lap due to Brennan’s strong double poling up the long climbs.

    “She just crushes me in double pole. Which is good – I see her go by and I go as hard as I can to keep up with her, and maybe one day I will be able to,” Holmes said. “If not, I’ll work in the meantime on making up time on the uphills.”

    Brennan described the conditions as her “worst nightmare,” but said that it was time for her to “conquer some fears” and ski confidently down the icy, technical hills.

    “It gives you confidence for skiing in weaker conditions,” she said.

    Katharine Ogden (SMS) cruises to a third-place finish in the Bozeman SuperTour women's 15 k classic mass sprint.
    Katharine Ogden (SMS) cruises to a third-place finish in the Bozeman SuperTour women’s 15 k classic mass sprint.

    Ogden, who maintained third place while trying to catch the two leaders and was 33 seconds behind Holmes after the first lap, said she was “really psyched” about her result.

    She explained that while the course was slippery, “that added to the fun of it. It was an extra challenge.” She recalled agility training on rollerskis last summer, saying it probably helped her in navigating such a technical course.

    Meanwhile, she said her wax techs’ work gave her “kick that lasted the whole race.”

    “Our skis were really fast,” she said. “So despite the tricky conditions, they made it work.”

    Rorabaugh’s fifth-place finish was an improvement over Saturday’s sprint, where she was relegated to last (sixth overall) by a jury decision after double poling too aggressively (i.e. skating) outside of the tracks.

    Sunday’s race got off to a rocky start for Rorabaugh, as the basket popped off her pole right out of the gate, and she could not get a new pole until “about half a kilometer” into the race. This left her “kind of behind,” she said, though she made up time on downhills and the double-pole sections.

    “I wasn’t super confident in my kick, so I double poled a lot of gradual uphills and really, really tried to make it up on the downhills,” she said.

    After a holiday break, the next stop on the SuperTour is U.S. nationals from Jan. 4-10 in Houghton, Mich.

     

    Women’s 15 k class mass start top ten | full results

    1. Rosie Brennan (APU) 31:07

    2. Chelsea Holmes (APU) +5.2

    3. Katharine Ogden (SMS) +1:20.0

    4. Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) +1:30.8

    5. Becca Rorabaugh (APU) +1:31.2

    6. Sloan Storey (University of Utah) +1:59.4

    7. Liz Guiney (CGRP) +2:01.2

    8. Jennie Bender (Bridger Ski Foundation) +2:15.3

    9. Kaitlynn Miller (CGRP) +2:17.8

    10. Erika Flowers (SMST2) +2:42.6

  • Brennan Rolls To Second-Straight SuperTour Win in Bozeman Classic Sprint

    Brennan Rolls To Second-Straight SuperTour Win in Bozeman Classic Sprint

    Jennie Bender (Bridger Ski Foundation) leads (from r-l) Erika Flowers (SMS) and Katharine Ogden (SMS) into the stadium during the second quarterfinal during the women's SuperTour sprint classic at Bohart Ranch near Bozeman, Mont.
    Jennie Bender of the local Bridger Ski Foundation (r) leads Stratton’s Erika Flowers (second from l) and Cendrine Browne (l) into the stadium during the second quarterfinal of the women’s 1.5 k SuperTour classic sprint at Bohart Ranch near Bozeman, Mont. Bender went on to place second to APU’s Rosie Brennan in the women’s final.

    BOZEMAN, Mont. — On a 45-degree day with spring-like conditions, Rosie Brennan of Alaska Pacific University (APU) cruised to first place in the women’s 1.5-kilometer classic-sprint final at Bohart Ranch on Saturday, the first day of the Bozeman SuperTour.

    While 26-year-old Brennan crossed the line in 3:55.83, a small crowd cheered for Jennie Bender of the local Bridger Ski Foundation (BSF) as she powered her way to second, 5.4 seconds behind Brennan, for her second-straight podium in as many SuperTour sprints. Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) took the final podium spot in third, 9.44 seconds back.

    Patterson placed fourth in last weekend’s SuperTour 10 k skate in West Yellowstone, Mont., the distance opener of the season, which Brennan won. Rounding out the final was Russian Natalia Naryshkina (CXC Team) in fourth (+17.35) and Alysson Marshall (Alberta World Cup Academy/National Development Team) – who won last week’s West Yellowstone SuperTour skate sprint – in fifth (+17.40). Becca Rorabaugh (APU) was relegated to last in the final and sixth overall based on a jury decision.

    Rosie Brennan (APU) glides to a first-place finish during the women's SuperTour classic sprint at Bohart Ranch near Bozeman, Mont.
    Rosie Brennan (APU) double poling to first in the women’s SuperTour classic-sprint final at Bohart Ranch near Bozeman, Mont.

    Unofficial results following the race had listed Rorabaugh in fourth after Patterson. But a jury decision relegated her to last in the final for sixth.

    According to Rorabaugh, she found that it was faster skiing outside the tracks and was double poling between the tracks through the upper stadium.

    “As I was double poling next to the tracks, I turned too aggressively into the upper hill, and course officials decided it was worth bringing up,” she wrote in an email. “The funny part is that it wasn’t advantageous for me; in retrospect I should have been striding to try and accelerate into the hill.  People say you learn something new every day, and now I really know how I should ski that transition!”

    “Since technical limits aren’t actually the ones that we’re supposed to push as skiers, and I crossed the line on that one, it makes sense that I was relegated to the back of the A final,” she added.

    After the clear-cut win, Brennan said her strength is “working the uphill sections,” and the difficult, hilly Bohart course certainly played to her advantage. She explained her strategy was to use her strengths “to tire people out and then just go for it.”

    Brennan’s tactics were effective, as she was the top qualifier by 0.53 seconds over Marshall in 3:51, and Brennan went on to win her quarterfinal and semifinal. In the final, she grabbed the lead from the start and maintained it throughout the race, while none of the other skiers could match her speed and strength.

    Brennan said she had fast skis and was not too worried about being caught on the course’s downhill sections, which included a steep hill halfway through the course that was immediately followed by a sharp, precarious curve. This curve gave skiers trouble throughout the day, particularly during the qualifier before the sun rose over the mountains and icy patches were still present.

    Patterson was one of those skiers who had a close call.

    “In my qualifier, I went way past the V-board and didn’t make the turn very well,” she said. “I think two people had to jump out of my way.”

    Patterson managed to qualify in 11th before successfully navigating her way to the final (after placing second to Brennan in the quarterfinal and third behind Brennan and Bender, respectively, in the much-faster semifinal). After all that, Patterson was satisfied with third.

    “I’m getting a lot better at sprinting than I used to be, and typically it wasn’t exactly my forte,” she said. “But I had a good fight with the other competitors and I’m pretty happy with how I did.”

    Patterson recalled being in fifth or sixth after the first downhill and going into the first uphill, but switched tracks and passed a few others on the inside of a corner. By the time the group reached the halfway point – the tall hill before the steep downhill section – Patterson was third behind Bender, and the two would remain in those positions through the finish.

    Ultimately, no one was able to catch Brennan.

    “[She] was really good today, just about untouchable,” Patterson said.

    Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Nordic Ski Club) skiing to an 11th place qualifying position during the women's SuperTour sprint classic at Bohart Ranch near Bozeman, Mont. She would eventually finish third in the final.
    Caitlin Patterson (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) in qualifying. She went on to place third in the women’s Bozeman SuperTour classic-sprint final.

    Bender was excited about her second-place result and said she’s looking forward to “battling it out” with Brennan in the future. “She’s looking strong, and I was psyched about how our final heat flew,” Bender said.

    Starting on the outside, she said she was “boxed out” right away and pushed to the back of the pack. However, she “punched it on the first hill” and spent the rest of the race trying keep up with Brennan.

    Unsurprisingly, there was a lot of hometown enthusiasm at the finish for Bender. “It’s so fun with all the home crew … a lot of people cheering me on, that means a lot,” she said, smiling.

    Despite her strong finish, she explained that she has a lot of work to do moving forward, and that there is always something she can change or improve upon.

    “I was psyched about today, but it’s just the tip of the iceberg,” she said.

    The Bozeman SuperTour continues on Sunday with the 10 and 15 k classic races at Bohart Ranch.

    Results | Brackets | Qualifier

  • Photo Gallery: Opening SuperTour Weekend in West Yellowstone

    Photo Gallery: Opening SuperTour Weekend in West Yellowstone

    WEST YELLOWSTONE, Mont. — Highly anticipated SuperTour racing kicked off Friday in West Yellowstone, Mont. with a weekend of freestyle races. Friday’s freestyle sprint saw Canadians Alysson Marshall (AWCA/NST) and Heidi Widmer (AWCA/NST) claim the top two spots on the podium with Bridger Ski Foundation’s Jennie Bender earning third by just 0.05 seconds.

    In the men’s sprint, Dakota Blackhorse-von Jess (Bend Endurance Academy) skied a smart race to overcome a pair of tactical Norwegians from the University of Colorado, Mads Strøm and Rune Odegård, who finished second and third.

    In Saturday’s 10/15 k freestyle individual start the two victors, Rosie Brennan (APU) and Matt Gelso (SVSEF), skied to convincing wins after pushing hard from the start. Rounding out the women’s podium was Katharine Ogden (SMS) and Chelsea Holmes (APU).

    Unlike the Gleso, Brian Gregg (Team Gregg/Madshus) started the 15 k conservatively and reduced a 23 second deficit to 9 seconds in the last 2.5 k to earn second place. Mads Strøm earned his second podium of the weekend in, finishing third.

    Check out our photo gallery of the weekend below, and if you haven’t already, make sure to read our SuperTour preview and recaps of each race.

    SuperTour Preview

    Friday’s freestyle sprint: Men’s recap | women’s recap

    Saturday’s freestyle individual start: Men’s 15 k recap | women’s 10 k recap