Liz Stephen races in Saturday’s Tour de Ski 3.3 k prologue in Oberstdorf, Germany (Photo: Marcel Hilger)
Only two Americans raced Thursday in the Tour de Ski’s fifth stage, a 15 k freestyle pursuit in Toblach, Italy.
Liz Stephen had the eighth fastest time of the day (37:25.6), but still finished 5:31.9 seconds behind Norwegian Marit Bjørgen (36:37.9), Thursday’s winner and overall Tour leader. Stephen remains in 14th in the Tour standings.
USST Head Coach Chris Grover said that Stephen had a good race, even though it is not a course that plays to her strengths.
“There is not much V1 in it; it is more of a big powerful skier type course with a lot of V2, V2 alternate, a lot of transitions,” he explained. “But another great performance by her.”
Meanwhile, Kikkan Randall – who decided that this would be her last race of the Tour – improved three places to finish 25th (7:21.7) and posted the 17th fastest time of the day in 37:53.6.
Randall was coming off what she described in an email to the press as a “disappointing” 5 k classic race on Wednesday.
“It seemed like it was going decent through 2.5 k and then I ran up against a wall again trying to really shift into my top climbing gear. I fell apart in the second half and crossed the line way off my expectation,” she wrote.
Randall explained that in Thursday’s 15 k she started in a wave of other skiers and had a difficult first lap, but improved as the race progressed.
Kikkan Randall racing in the 5 k classic in the fourth stage of the 2015 Tour de Ski (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)
“The first lap my body was slow to respond but it came alive through the race and I ended up feeling strong on the second and third laps. I was able to move up a few places and end with a more satisfying effort,” she wrote.
Randall will not participate in the final two stages of the Tour, which she was never planning on finishing.
“The big focus on the season is still the Falun World Championships and I am focusing all my efforts on being in the best shape in February,” Randall explained.
Now, Randall will travel home to Alaska, Grover explained, and “spend about 16 days at home just to kind of take a break from the World Cup and just get re-centered and not focus on traveling and racing so much.”
Jessie Diggins, who was 40th on the Tour, did not start on Thursday.
Grover said Diggins woke up with a cold, and decided it was not worth it to keep pushing.
“She was really hoping to do the whole Tour so just a bit of bad luck, but that is just part of the game in the Tour de Ski. It is so much racing and so much traveling, it is just a battle to stay healthy,” Grover said.
Diggins finished the Tour the last two years, taking 21st in 2013 and 13th in 2014. Now she is focusing on the World Championships, Grover explained, and will go to a training camp with Stephen before World Cup races in Rybinsk, Russia, from Jan. 23-25.
The women’s team is now left with just one athlete, Stephen, racing in the Tour.
“That is a bummer to just have one athlete at the end, but we knew we would be small at the end anyway,” Grover said.
Alex Harvey (CAN), Dario Cologna (SUI), Daniel Richardsson (SWE) and Alexey Poltoranin (KAZ), (l-r) during Thursday’s Tour de Ski stage. (photo: Fischer / Nordic Focus)
Alex Harvey’s plan to work with Norway’s Niklas Dyrhaug may have slowed him down in Thursday’s Tour de Ski 25-kilometer freestyle pursuit, but he was still 0.4 seconds fast enough to jump Switzerland’s Dario Cologna in the Tour standings and improve from seventh to sixth overall.
The Canadian is now sixth overall, 2:01.0 minutes behind leader Petter Northug of Norway. He finished Thursday’s pursuit in sixth, 1:46.0 minutes behind Northug (53:36.9), and had the 21st fastest time on the course – five laps around a 5 k loop – in 54:35.1. However, Dyrhaug edged him out at the finish line by 0.1 seconds to take fifth.
“I’m happy with the results but time-wise I’m a bit disappointed by the other guys in the group,” Harvey said in a phone interview.
He explained that Dyrhaug – who started the day eighth overall – approached him before the race and said he wanted to work together to catch Cologna. Harvey agreed, but Dyrhaug set a slow pace from the start, and he estimated they quickly lost 10 seconds to Cologna.
However, he said the pace finally quickened when Sweden’s Daniel Richardsson caught up to them.
Niklas Dyrhaug (NOR) and Alex Harvey (CAN), (l-r) each moved up the overall Tour de Ski results. (photo: Fischer / Nordic Focus)
“Richardsson had a really good day so when he caught up to us, him and I could work well to close the gap. By then it was maybe up to 30 seconds to Dario, but we could work well, and I think Dario was starting to fade a little bit,” Harvey said.
At that point, Harvey knew the top-four skiers were too far ahead to be caught, so the race turned into a battle between him, Richardsson, Cologna, Dyrhaug, and Kazahstan’s Alexey Poltoranin for fifth.
Harvey said no one was willing to take a big pull, and the group ended up sitting.
“We [Richardsson and I] saw that Dario and Dyrhaug were sitting, so we didn’t want one of them to attack right after we took a big pull and get dropped. So when not that many people are trying to work, people get pretty pissed, and I guess that was what was going on,” Harvey explained.
The results was a final charge for fifth among the five racers, with Dyrhaug taking it by a fraction of a second.
“I think we could have skied probably 45 seconds to a minute faster if Dario, Daniel, Niklas, and I really pushed,” Harvey said. Dyrhaug – who Harvey said he has a “good relationship” with – went up to him after the race and apologized for not pulling, according to Harvey.
Despite his frustrations with the speed, Harvey said the course was fairly fast.
“Every 5 k I would throw in maybe four or five offsets – on climbs I can skate in that technique – so everything else was one skate or two skate. It was pretty fast snow,” he said.
Harvey will race in the 15 k classic mass start in Val di Fiemme, Italy, on Saturday, but will forgo Sunday’s final stage, a 9 k freestyle pursuit. This will be the third year in a row he will skip the final stage of the Tour.
However, he thinks he has a shot at the podium on Saturday.
“I’ve had really good races in the past in Val di Fiemme … It’s a race that I’ve done well in the past, and the classic this year has been feeling really good, and today because we didn’t push so hard I’m not really tired,” he explained.
Two other Canadian men competed in the pursuit. Devon Kershaw started the day in 29th but improved to 25th (+4:11.0), while Ivan Babikov started and finished in 31st (+4:13.9). Babikov also had the 23rd fastest race of the day, with a time of 54:39.2.
The three American men withdrew from the Tour after Wednesday’s 10 k.
Kevin Sandau (AWCA) racing to a 32.3-second victory in the 15 k freestyle pursuit on the last day of the NorAm mini tour in Canmore, Alberta, on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Angus Cockney.
Note: This story has been updated to include quotes from third-place finisher and overall NorAm leader Brent McMurtry.
If there’s one thing an athlete dreads besides injury, it’s sickness. Kevin Sandau felt the latter coming on Saturday in Canmore, Alberta, the night before the last race of the Western Canadian Championships.
With most other NorAm races, the Alberta World Cup Academy and Senior Development Team skier would have found it easier to simply sit one out. However, Sandau was in the middle of a mini tour and with just two on the NorAm circuit this season, he needed to finish out the three-day series.
His push to capture the lead in the overall NorAm standings depended on it.
Fortunately, the body is an amazing thing. As Sandau shot out from the start of the men’s 15 k freestyle pursuit, he felt his body match his intentions. He was the second man to start, 41 seconds behind the mini-tour and overall NorAm leader Brent McMurtry (Pierre-Harvey National Training Centre).
Brent McMurtry (CNEPH) racing to a third-place finish in the NorAm 15 k freestyle pursuit on the last day of the Western Canadian Championships in Canmore, Alberta, on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Angus Cockney.
By about 8 k, Sandau said he caught McMurtry and extended his gap on 77 others, racing against only the clock and winning the pursuit by 32.3 seconds in 1:07.10.1.
Sandau’s teammate, Graham Nishikawa, was the overall runner-up after starting 1:26 behind McMurtry. Nishikawa caught the man in the leader’s jersey on the second lap, and despite McMurtry hanging with him until the end, Nishikawa managed to edge him in the final sprint. McMurtry was third by 0.8 seconds (+33.1).
“I don’t really know what the reason is, I just had low energy and bad legs right from the start,” McMurtry said in a phone interview on Monday. “Once Kevin caught me which was pretty quickly, he skied right through me and there was nothing I could do.”
He regrouped by focusing on second, but with about 3 k to go, Eric Carleton (Rocky Mountain Racers) and Nishikawa caught him. From there, McMurtry dug deep to stay with them to the finish and ultimately edged Carleton, who was fourth.
While Nishikawa and Sandau acknowledged some racers, like McMurtry, didn’t have their best races on the World Cup course, they were pleased with how they felt throughout all three laps.
“I think things started working together and when I started catching time on [McMurtry],” Sandau said on Sunday. “My coach told me before the race, ‘There’s 15 k, you don’t need to make up the time all at once.’ … I didn’t think I started that quick and I was already making time up.”
Sunday morning when he woke up and decided to race, Sandau thought he might be contending for second.
“I thought first was too far gone,” he said. “In the race, I felt pretty normal … I was surprised by that and my legs actually felt good. It was kind of a mental thing, like, think about it after the race.”
On the downhills, Sandau felt his body respond well to the recovery and he sensed a shot at winning.
“I knew I could make up that 41 seconds and push it at the end,” he said. “I think I was the fifth-fastest time of the day. That was still a heck of a day for me.”
Nishikawa posted the fastest 15 k split after starting six places back. He made the winning the time trial his goal and hoped his body would hold up. On Friday, Nishikawa said he had an unusual experience in the middle of the 10 k classic interval start.
Erik Carleton (RMR) leads Graham Nishikawa (AWCA), center, and Brent McMurtry (CNEPH), right, during the NorAm 15 k freestyle pursuit at the Western Canadian Championships in Canmore, Alberta, on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Angus Cockney.
“I don’t know if I ate enough food and I got really, really tired out there and kind of had to pull over for a bit,” he said. “It was really bizarre … all of a sudden I was really out of it.”
His coaches told him to keep racing and he finished ninth. With the snafu out of the way and a double oatmeal in his stomach for Sunday’s 15 k, Nishikawa wanted a better result, but was unsure how his body would react.
Throughout the race, he gradually increased his pace so as not to rock the boat and blow up. By the last climb, Nishikawa moved to second place just ahead of McMurtry and Carleton.
“As it happens, I skied really well today and managed to catch up to some guys,” Nishikawa said.
He pointed out another racer on the course, Canadian National Ski Team member Ivan Babikov, as a motivator. Babikov, who is on break from the World Cup circuit until the end of the month, jumped into the NorAm race as sort of a tune up. He started close to the end as a result and skied the second-fastest time to finish 28th overall.
“[I] wasn’t planning to race because I don’t have any race skis here with me,” Babikov wrote in an email from Canmore, where he’s recovering after the Tour de Ski with his expectant wife and 9-year-old son. His second child is due in April.
“I wasn’t expecting anything,” he added. “That was simply for training, another hard workout.”
The two-time Olympian was also nursing his wrist injury after a crash in Stage 4 of the Tour. He finished out the event, placing 27th overall, and took some time off with the team in the Canary Islands before returning to Canada. While Babikov said his wrist, which suffered soft tissue damage, was not 100 percent, he explained it was much better than the Tour: “just a bit sore.” He estimated the healing time was four to six weeks since; he was on Week 3.
On Jan. 31, Babikov wrote that he would fly to Russia to compete in the Rybinsk World Cups on Feb. 4-5.
Note: The NorAms have a break in the schedule next weekend and will resume with the second of two mini tours this season at the Nakkertok Nordic Centre in Cantley, Quebec, on Feb. 3-5.
With one win and two third-place finishes in Canmore, Brent McMurtry remains on top of the NorAm standings with 854 points. Sandau trails by 40 points, and Nishikawa is third with 529. Jesse Cockney (AWCA) ranks fourth with 516, and Michael Somppi (NDC Thunder Bay) was fifth with 419.
Rounding out the top 10 on Sunday, Brian McKeever (Foothills) was fifth, Somppi was sixth, Cockney was seventh, David Greer (CNEPH) was eighth, Phil Widmer (AWCA) was ninth, and Pate Neumann (AWCA) was 10th.
Alysson Marshall (r) leads her teammate on both the Alberta World Cup Academy and Senior Development Team, Emily Nishikawa, in the 10 k freestyle pursuit at the NorAm Western Canadian Championships on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Angus Cockney.
There was no hiding in Canmore, Alberta, on Sunday. The first to start the 10 k pursuit on the last day of the NorAm mini tour, Alysson Marshall knew she’d have her work cut out for her.
Mostly, it was her Alberta World Cup Academy teammate she’d have to worry about.
Emily Nishikawa started 16 seconds behind Marshall in the Western Canadian Championships finale, and by the first major climb on the first of two laps, Nishikawa said she had caught her.
Marshall continued to lead until about halfway through the second lap, when Nishikawa charged ahead. Marshall stayed with her, and the two continued to play tactical games – testing their strengths and the other’s weaknesses.
As Marshall and Nishikawa ticked off the kilometers, they extended their lead on the 46 women behind them. The pace increased, and as they neared the stadium, both knew they needed to have something left for the finish.
Marshall’s final move proved to be pivotal as she slipped by Nishikawa on the last downhill and kept her distance into the stadium. Nishikawa said she tried to tuck in behind for a slingshot effect, but it didn’t work.
Marshall’s skis were downright fast and she glided away to a 2.1-second victory in 47:17.8. After Nishikawa in second place, Amanda Ammar (Canmore/Track ’n Trail) finished third, 1:30.9 behind the winner.
Alysson Marshall (l) and Emily Nishikawa (r) of the Alberta World Cup Academy and Senior Development Team leading the 10 k freestyle pursuit at the NorAm Western Canadian Championships in Canmore, Alberta, on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Angus Cockney.
“I had good skis, for sure,” Marshall said in a phone interview. “I’m used to that hill so I knew I needed to go fast so I hoped she couldn’t get the slingshot.”
Nishikawa knew that hill as well, along with every other twist, turn and descent on their home course at the Canmore Nordic Centre.
“She was out to get me,” Marshall said. “I knew as long as I could stay with her, I could outsprint her to the finish. It was just a matter of sticking with her on the uphills.”
When she couldn’t catch her on the climbs, Marshall said she made up for it on the downhills. The two remained together for the majority of the race, and Nishikawa ended up with the fastest 10 k time of the day.
“I felt super-strong climbing especially so I would attack on the uphill,” Nishikawa said. “She’s more powerful in the downhill and flat stuff [and] she’s just a good two skater. … It’s interesting.”
While the two jockeyed for the top spot throughout the race, Ammar started in third and ended up there after mostly skiing alone. Thirty-eight seconds behind Marshall from the start, Ammar didn’t have anyone chasing her until 36 seconds later (AWCA skiers Marlis Kromm and Janelle Greer of started together five bibs back. Alana Thomas of Nakkertok did not start in her allotted fourth spot).
“I was basically out there doing a time trial by myself,” Ammar said.
At the same time, she knew others were gunning for her. The chase pack grew to seven, which Ammar said she saw several times on the course. She worked especially hard on the downhills to stay ahead, and on the last climb, the group put on a strong surge.
“I think I was running mostly on fear,” Ammar said.
Regardless, she kept her position without much contention, beating fourth-place finisher and junior racer Dahria Beatty (Yukon Ski Team) by 10.9 seconds. Beatty edged Annika Hicks (AWCA) by 0.1 seconds and Andrea Lee (NDC Thunder Bay) finished sixth about 2 seconds later.
Kromm was seventh, Greer placed eighth, Chisa Obayashi (Madshus Japan) was ninth and Heather Mehain (Sovereign Lake) was 10th.
Note: Winning two of three races over the long weekend, Marshall extended her lead in the NorAm standings to 109 points over Nishikawa. While Marshall holds the top spot with 896 points, Ammar ranked third with 430, Kromm was fourth with 419 and Jessie Diggins (USA) was fifth with 400.
![Liz Stephen races in Saturday's Tour de Ski 3.3 k prologue in Oberstdorf, Germany (Photo: Marcel Hilger)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/01/Liz-Stephen-Oberstdorf-prologue-1.jpg")
![Kikkan Randall racing in the 5 k classic in the fourth stage of the 2015 Tour de Ski (Photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/01/Randall070115mf040.jpg")
![Celia Aymonier (FRA), leads ahead of the wave start, including Kikkan Randall. (photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/01/Feature080115mf152.jpg")
![Alex Harvey (CAN), Dario Cologna (SUI), Daniel Richardsson (SWE) and Alexey Poltoranin (KAZ), (l-r) during Thursday's Tour de Ski stage. (photo: Fischer / Nordic Focus)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/01/Group080115mf085.jpg")
![Niklas Dyrhaug (NOR) and Alex Harvey (CAN), (l-r) each moved up the overall Tour de Ski results. (photo: Fischer / Nordic Focus)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/01/Group080115mf052.jpg")
![Daniel Richardsson (SWE) and Alex Harvey (CAN), (l-r). (photo: Fischer/Nordic Focus)](http://fasterskier.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2015/01/Group080115mf072.jpg")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/01/sandau.jpg" "Kevin Sandau")
![Canmore, Western Canadian Championships](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/01/Brent2.jpg" "Brent McMurtry")
![Canmore, mini tour](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/01/Carleton.Nish_.McM_.jpg" "Erik Carleton, Graham Nishikawa, Brent McMurtry")
![Canmore NorAm, Western Canadian Championships](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/01/Nishikawa.Marshall.jpg" "Marshall, Nishikawa")
![Canmore NorAm](http://images.fasterskier.com/2012/01/Marshall.Nish_.jpg" "Alysson Marshall, Emily Nishikawa")