The Italian men’s sprint team emerged as a force in 2010-2011. With a few exeptions (Christian Zorzi, for one) the Italian men have never really been thought of as strong sprinters, probably because big names such as Pietro Piller Cottrer and Giorgio Di Centa qualify for sprints about as often as Petter Northug loses a sprint finish.
But Fulvio Scola stepped up his game significantly, Renato Pasini regained some of his former glory, and Federico Pellegrino did not disappoint in his first full World Cup season.
Scola was the biggest contributer, as the 29 year old who has never really made a splash on the circuit qualified for every sprint he competed in this winter – except the one at World Championships (missed peak, perhaps?). He finished 5th in the Sprint Cup rankings, and apparently likes running in one-piece suits.
Renato Pasini turned back the clock to 2009, and finished in the top 10 three times on his way to 9th in the Sprint Cup.
But it was young Pellegrino who punched his way onto the World Cup in style, winning qualification during the skate sprint in Davos, Switzerland, before ending his day last in the final. He qualified in the top 15 four other times, and also picked up his first career World Cup medal in Liberec, Czech Republic, after he tried to pull a fast one on Ola Vigen Hattestad and was taught a lesson by the elite Norwegian.
What You Need To Know for This Season
The Italian women’s team was gutted at the end of last season, and if it isn’t dead, it is now on life support. Arianna Follis pulled the plug after her best World Cup season ever, as did Marianna Longa, who might actually stay retired this time. Magda Genuin waited an extra month or so, but then followed her teammates rather than hang around for one more seaon.
It was the skiing of all three that pushed Italy from a second-tier nation into a battle with the Russians for a Nations Cup podium spot. The departure of sprinters Genuin and Follis, and distance heavyweight Longa will be extremely costly for the women’s program, and the Italians across the board.
While FasterSkier always likes a surprise, the chances of any of the Italian women having the kind of breakout campaign needed to replace the over 2600 World Cup points produced by their top three women last season is nil.
Giorgio Di Centa stands happily with an Italian flag draped over his shoulders at the Canmore, Alberta, World Cup in 2010. (Photo: Win Goodbody)
Italian hopes are pretty much centered on one man – Pellegrino. The sprint phenom who helped the country massively last season will be called on to do everything once again – generate excitement, score points, and probably wax skis as well.
FasterSkier knows that Silvia Rupil isn’t exactly a young gun in the pipeline, but here’s the deal – someone has to step up to replace the departed women, and Rupil is in the perfect position to do so.
She will be given all the opportunities possible to succeed; at 26 she is now one of the team leaders, she is entering just her third World Cup season, and we have seen flashes of elite ability, including two top tens and being a part of three World Cup medal winning relay teams last season.
If you speak Italian, check out this video, and let FasterSkier know how she’s progressing!
Marianna Longa posing with her son. Photo: Fiemme2013.
Before the 2011 World Cup season was even finished, the ski community knew that the Italian team would be losing one of their biggest stars.
Arianna Follis, who had been racing on the circuit since 1995, saved the best part of her career for last. She was the World Champion in the sprint in 2009, and in 2011 placed third in the overall World Cup rankings and second in the sprint standings. But at 33 years of age, she said told SkiTime.it that “at some point in life, we need to make a change, and it’s time for me.”
Follis in Drammen this year.
Follis had inherited the spotlight from Stefania Belmondo and Gabriella Paruzzi, each of whom won individual gold medals in the Salt Lake City Olympics, and she was part of a cohort of equally strong Italian women, including Magda Genuin and Marianna Longa. Partway through the 2011 season she made her decision, which she said allowed her to enjoy the last races of the year.
Longa had paired up with Follis for bronze in the 2009 World Championships team sprint and just missed the podium in the same event at 2011 World Championships in Oslo, where she had three individual top-ten finishes. It looked like she and Genuin – who had considered not finishing the 2011 season after sustaining a calf injury before World Champs – would be the team’s leaders going into 2012.
But two months after Follis had retired, Longa decided to follow her example.
In 2005, Longa only raced twice due to a pregancy. Now, six years later, she wants to spend more time with her son, and the 32-year-old is ready to be a full-time mother.
Like Follis, Longa’s career was on the upswing. Besides her recent success at championship events, she had more than 20 top-ten finishes in World Cups, Tour de Ski stages, and mini-tour stages this season. She finished third overall in the 2011 Tour de Ski, and her success added up to a seventh-place ranking in the overall standings and fourth place in the World Cup distance rankings.
Follis and Longa, along with Genuin, who sometimes joined them in sprint finals, put Italy back on the map, and made it one of the few non-Scandinavian countries which could field more than a single all-around female star. With no significant
Follis being interviewed after her medal in the World Championship sprint.
retirements from the Norwegian, Finnish, or Swedish women, the disappearance of the Italian pair will almost certainly make the lead pack at World Cup races much less diverse.
Genuin, who had voiced doubts about racing as the 2011 season ended, hasn’t done anything to suggest that she wouldn’t stay on the national team. She finished the year ranked eleventh in the sprint cup. Silvia Rupil, Italy’s next-best woman, was 48th on the overall list; the team will now struggle with depth.
Another Italian star recently announced his retirement, as well: Cristian Zorzi, the two-time Olympic relay medalist who also picked up bronze in Salt Lake City in the individual sprint. After racing in his third Olympic Games last year, Zorzi did not compete in a single World Cup race in the 2010-2011 season. In fact, after a busy early-season campaign, he only raced four times in 2011 – one weekend in February, and twice in March.
While Zorzi, who would have turned 39 next year, was no longer a contributing member of Italy’s robust national team, the retirement of a highly symbolic star – Zorzi had his biggest successes when sprinting was still relatively new – will change the landscape of Italian skiing. SkiTime.it reported that he would be moving into a technical role in the ski world.
Zorzi cresting the final climb in the 2006 Olympic 4x10km relay. He anchored the Italian team to gold.Marianna Longa in the 10km World Championship classic race
Early on in Monday’s 10 k classic individual start race, it looked like Marit Bjoergen was on track to lose her first gold medal of the 2011 World Championships.
On the first steep hill of the tough course in Oslo, the Norwegian was slipping – and not long after, she began to get splits telling her that Justyna Kowalcyk of Poland, who had started one spot behind her, was catching up.
“Today was a very hard race,” Bjoergen said in a press conference. “I knew before I started today that this is Kowalczyk’s best distance… I knew that she was going to be opening hard and she did.”
Kowalczyk dominating the first climb.
Her trainer, Egil Kristiansen, said that he was concerned watching the beginning of the race and seeing how fast the Polish skier was moving.
But while Kowalczyk opened hard, Bjoergen closed harder, and the race came down to a thrilling finish.
“[Kowalczyk] got nine seconds, and then eleven, and then eight, and then I was two seconds behind on the last climb and I thought, they are kidding me, I am sure,” Bjoergen laughed. “But I was working very hard at the end of the race, and I did have Marianna Longa with me. Then I was lying at the finish line thinking, am I going to get it, or not? I heard that when Kowalcyk came into the stadium she had 20 seconds, and I thought maybe she can get the gold, and then I heard, no, the gold will go to Marit Bjoergen, and I thought, yes!
“For sure [this was my hardest fight]. You have to be working very hard to take the gold and I really did.”
Bjoergen collapsed at the finish line and watched her rival race towards her from the snow. The Holmenkollen crowd was silent as Kowalczyk rounded the last corner in the stadium, but as soon as it was clear that she would not surpass Bjoergen, the fans went wild, and Bjoergen’s teammates mobbed her in congratulations. Kowalczyk, for her part, collapsed on the other side of the finish line as well.
Bjoergen.
It has been an impressive World Championships for Bjoergen so far: she won the skate sprint as well as the 15 k pursuit, and her chances are good of collecting gold in the relay and the 30 k as well (Bjoergen said that she has not yet decided whether to race the team sprint). But while dominance is good for Bjoergen, not all of her competitors are sure that it is good for the sport.
“I hope that some [new fast] women will come very soon,” said Slovenian standout Petra Majdic after today’s race.
And Norwegian great Berit Aunli, a three-time gold medalist from the 1982 World Championships here in Oslo, said that to beat Marit, Kowalczyk and Saarinen would have to “race even faster” than they had today.
Of all the women on the circuit, Kowalczyk has seemed like the most likely to have the ability to beat Bjoergen. Although the two have battled all season, Bjoergen has yet to lose a distance race, or at least she has only lost in a roundabout fashion, having the fourth-fastest time in the final race of the Kuusamo mini-tour but collecting a sizeable victory nonetheless.
With Kowalczyk’s fast start, she seemed poised to finally best her rival – or implode in the final kilometers. While “blowing up” might be a strong way to describe the Pole’s finish, she was still questioned about whether her pacing was ideal.
“The first four kilometers is tough,” she said, noting that the terrain played a bigger part in her split times than did a strategy to catch Bjoergen. “It is almost one big uphill, and this is my strength. After this I was fifteen seconds ahead of Bjoergen. Everyone knows that where it is a big uphill, I am going fast.”
But she did acknowledge that her early efforts came with a price.
“In the last two kilometers, I was so tired. And Bjoergen, I know that she was working together with Longa, which is easier. But I am happy, this is a really good race. I was fighting really really good.”
After starting 30 seconds ahead of Bjoergen, Longa – who in finishing seventh was the only non-Finnish or Norwegian woman besides Kowalczyk to crack the top ten – was caught by the winner about six kilometers into the race. For the rest of the time, the two skied together, which seemed to help both.
“She was following me and working very hard in the climbing and pushing me also,” said Bjoergen. “I am happy with that. I was working hard to catch her, and she pushed me all the way. And in the stadium, in the last 50 meters she was working very hard and I didn’t want her to beat me. So I was very happy that she was with me today.”
Saarinen.
While much was made of the battle between Bjoergen and Kowalczyk, Aino-Kaisa Saarinen of Finland was close behind, rounding out the podium by finishing just ten seconds behind Bjoergen. Despite being the defending champion in this event, Saarinen was not expected to win today; she has collected only two World Cup podiums so far this season. Another skier might rejoice at such good fortune, but Saarinen isn’t just any skier, and she’s had much more success in the past.
Kowalczyk and Saarinen joked at the press conference about how Saarinen had finished a minute and forty seconds back at the World Cup in Davos earlier this season. Saarinen also said, however, that her goal today had been gold, and Bjoergen, for one, wasn’t surprised that she almost achieved it.
“[Saarinen] has been better and better, and in Drammen she was back again with a very good race,” Bjoergen said. “I knew that she was one of the toughest. It is great to have her back again, after being injured at the beginning of the season. She is great at classic skiing and I knew that today it was going to be hard.”
Saarinen said that the season had been a “big fight” after injuring her shoulder before the opening World Cup races in Gallivare. But today was different.
“I had a good day and good skis today,” she told the press. “Maybe the first kilometer I was a little bit nervous, but after that I could raise my speed all the time and my technique was working very well. At the end I almost thought I could fly. And the audience was yelling and cheering me all the time. It was very hard to hear the split times- the techs tried to yell very hard, but the audience yelled harder.”
She led a resurgent Finnish team to their best day all season. Krista Lahteenmaki finished fifth, Pirjo Muranen sixth, and 22-year-old classic phenom Kerttu Niskanen eighth.
“The whole team did excellent work today, the skiers and the service men,” Saarinen said. “[For the relay] I think the only goal now is the gold.”
The Finns certainly had good skis in the warm, greasy conditions, unlike in some of the races earlier in the week. Their head wax technician told FasterSkier that he had sent ten to fifteen people out to test skis all over the course because conditions varied between the skied-in tracks in the stadium and the less-traveled trails in the woods. They tested klister and hardwax to see what was the best, on average, and ended up on hardwax.
While head coach Magnar Dalen certainly has high hopes for his women in the rest of this year’s World Championships, he was perhaps even more enthusiastic about the future.
“They are young athletes coming up that have a big talent, and it is looking good for Finland in the next two to four years,” he said.
Therese Johaug finished fourth, 14 seconds off the podium. Teammates Vibeke Skofterud and Kristin Stoermer Steira finished ninth and tenth. While it was certainly a good day for the team, the Norwegian performances were perhaps eclipsed by that of the Finns – who suddenly appear poised for an incredible relay performance.
“Finland has always been good in the relay, and they did a very good job today,” Bjoergen said. “I think Finland, Sweden, Germany and Italy… it’s not going to be easy on the relay.”
Kristiansen agreed, saying that he would have to think carefully before picking a relay team.
“Going into the World Championships we had a goal of taking at least one individual gold medal and the relay gold. We’ve achieved one of those by far, but the relay is on Thursday. If we are going to win the relay gold, every one of the girls have to perform to their potential. A relay gold isn’t something you can just walk up and collect. On Thursday, every one of the girls will have to dig deep.”
When Justyna Kowalczyk stood at the head of the chevron before the 10 k pursuit Friday morning in Rybinsk, Russia, she must have felt a little bit lonely.
That’s because no less than 20 of the top 30 women in the current overall World Cup rankings were missing. Kowalczyk’s biggest rival, Marit Bjoergen (NOR) opted to take the weekend off, as did fourth ranked Petra Majdic (SLO), and 6th through 9th, Therese Johaug (NOR), Charlotte Kalla (SWE), Krista Lateenmaki (FIN), and Astrid Jacobsen (NOR).
With the field reduced, it was Kowalczyk’s day to lose – but she clearly wasn’t going to let that happen, as she crossed the line unchallenged. However, Marianna Longa (ITA) and Aino-Kaisa Saarinen (FIN) made the day interesting, as they stuck to the Polish superstar, never letting her open a huge gap.
And as soon as the gun went off, it became very clear that the 30 woman pack was not going to be sticking together. Kowalczyk, along with Longa and Saarinen, broke away almost immediately, outclassing the other women on a day with slippery tracks.
Bonus points were awarded at the 3.9 k mark, and Kowalczyk ate them up, collecting 15, while Saarinen picked up an additional 10, and Longa scooped up the remaining 5.
Heading into the ski exchange, Kowalczyk and Saarinen stayed tight, with Longa about 8 seconds back, but Saarinen couldn’t handle Kowalczyk’s skate pace, and dropped back quickly. Longa, however, put on a charge, reeling in Saarinen, and then keeping the pace high in an attempt to draw back into the race with Kowalczyk, but the Pole proved too tough.
Kowalczyk cruised into the finish 9.8 seconds ahead of Longa, while Saarinen finished 20.6 seconds back of the lead.
The battle for fourth was much tighter, as skate sprinter Arianna Follis (ITA) narrowly beat Riitta-Liisa Roponen (FIN) to the line by less than a second.
The conditions were difficult – with the temperature hovering around zero degrees Celsius, many of the skiers struggled with grip.
“I was nervous before the start because the skis did not work well in classic,” said Kowalczyk during a post-race press conference.
Longa had similar sentiments; “It was slippery today,” she said post-race, “These conditions do not allow for perfect classical skiing.”
It was perhaps the most encouraging day for Saarinen – after starting her season off with a shoulder injury and missing a large chunk of time, she has been struggling to find her form. Friday was the first World Cup podium of the season for Saarinen, and just before World Championships it has to be taken as a good sign.
“Now I feel I’m coming back in shape and this is very important in the view of coming World Championship,” she said in a post-race interview.
Chernousov Takes First World Cup Victory
At 24 years old, Ilia Chernousov (RUS) still has quite a lot skiing left in his career. But in the 20 k pursuit on Friday, the young Russian put on a show for the fans in Rybinsk, skiing to his first career win.
Chernousov took the victory in a close sprint over two Frenchmen, Jean-Marc Gaillard and Maurice Magnificat.
Unlike the women’s race, there was no immediate breakaway, and by the time the men reached the first intermediate sprint for bonus points at 6.4 k, the pack was still tightly bunched. The Russians were in control at the front, and Konstantin Glavatskikh (RUS), Alexander Utkin (RUS) and Alexander Legkov (RUS) earned the first 15, 10, and 5 points respectively.
Heading into the exchange, a large group of 13 skiers had pulled away, and Italian Giorgio di Centa controlled the first part of the skate leg. As the group headed toward the second intermediate sprint at 13.5 k, several skiers fancied their chances at the extra points, but Gaillard got to the line first to collect 15, while Tobias Angerer (GER) ended up with 10, and Roland Clara (ITA) picked up the remaining 5.
With the group still tightly bunched, it was headed towards the usual pack sprint finish, until Gaillard put on a move on the second-to-last hill in an attempt to break away. After gaining 20 meters on the field, Gaillard was chased down by Chernousov on the final climb, and as the two came down into the stadium, Chernousov was able to come around Gaillard and finish him off in the sprint to the line.
Chernousov bested Gaillard by 0.4 seconds, and Magnificat finished third, three seconds back, just ahead of Angerer and di Centa.
With the win, Chernousov has solidified his spot on the Russian World Championships team.
“It is my first World Cup victory and the race was very important for me to get qualified for the World Championships,” he said in a post-race press conference. “I had to be in top 6 today for the ticket to Oslo and I made it.”
While Chernousov’s win is a big one, it does come with an asterisk of sorts – some of the biggest names on the circuit failed to make the trip to Russia. The race was lacking the top three men in the overall World Cup standings, as Dario Cologna (SUI), Petter Northug (NOR), and Lukas Bauer (CZE) were all absent.
No North American men or women are racing in Rybinsk, as they continue preparations for World Championships.
FIS World Cup racing continues Saturday in Rybinsk with a freestyle sprint.
Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) Celebrates her Tour de Ski win (Photo: Fiemme2013)
Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) became the first skier, male or female, to win back-to-back Tour de Ski titles when she staggered across the finish line at the top of the Alpe Cermis on Sunday morning.
Starting with a lead of 2:08 over Marianna Longa (ITA), Kowalczyk was in no danger of being caught, but the big cushion did not make her complacent, especially with World Cup points and prize money available for the “Woman of the Day” standings – the results for the stage.
The Polish superstar pumped her arms at the finish and then collapsed into a ball on the snow. Exhausted, any further celebration would have to wait.
Kowalczyk used a breakaway with Therese Johaug (NOR) in Saturday’s mass start to cement her hold on the overall lead. After winning that race and claiming all the bonus sprints, Kowalczyk was well set for the brutal final climb.
But while the overall belonged to Kowalczyk, the big story of the day was all about Johaug.
The energetic Norwegian started the Tour in solid form, but turned on the jets in the mass start, leading Kowalczyk on the break, and climbing to fifth overall.
But as impressive as that performance was, Johaug had more to give. She wasted no time, charging out of the start today, and abusing her competition.
Petra Majdic (SLO) was the first to fall, Johaug overtaking the Slovenian before the 1.5km mark. Arianna Follis (ITA) was next up the trail. The Italian finished third in last year’s Tour, and she held a full 50-second lead on Johaug.
Johaug celebrating her second place finish (Photo: Fiemme2013)
It wouldn’t be enough – not nearly. Once the climb started Johaug ate her up and spat her out, Follis not even attempting to hang. The reaming Italian hope, Marianna Longa, started 1:12 ahead of Johaug, but on the steep climb of the Alpe Cermis, seconds disappear like the snow during a New England thaw.
Longa had more to give than Follis on this day, and she made a valiant effort to stay with Johaug. But drafting gave no advantage and she too was left in the dust, and the television announcers started talking about a battle for first.
That may not have been realistic, but Johaug never let up. She sprinted across the line, collapsing in exhaustion and screaming her joy at the same time.
She finished a stunning one minute ahead of the next fastest woman over the nine kilometer course, and nearly two minutes ahead of third. Overall she took two minutes out of the Pole, and her only regret can be her inability to capture bonus seconds earlier in the Tour.
“It was a really great race today, my shape is really good and I had great skis,” Johaug said after the race. “I had a dream about finishing second today, and I was really happy when I saw Longa up the hill. Overtaking those girls was a really great moment, and this is the best I have done in my career so far.”
Kowalczyk was drained by her effort, but had some in reserve if Johaug closed further.
“I was tired, my legs were in pain and all I could think of was the finish line,” Kowalczyk said. “I heard Therese was attacking, but I was not afraid of her winning… if the time gap was smaller I would have gone faster. I was not giving 100% in the last hill.”
Longa stayed strong, and gave the Italians third place for the second year in a row. She celebrated across the line and was quickly joined by her young son as she hugged coaches and servicemen in the finish corral.
“It was a very hard race today,” Longa said. “The climbing is really really tough. I am so tired right now.”
Longa posing with her son after the finish (Photo: Fiemme2013)
The Italian was impressed with Johaug saying, “Therese Johaug was really strong yesterday, and she was even more dangerous for me today. I am really satisfied with winning third place today, and I am happy with my race.”
Follis unpressured in fourth, was clearly disappointed. She had an up and down Tour, but did not have enough to give on the climb. She was the only woman near the top who did not fall to the snow upon finishing.
Charlotte Kalla (SWE) a pre-Tour favorite, moved up one position to finish 5th, taking down Majdic on the climb. Majdic, who struggled in the distance races during the Tour, was surprisingly strong. Regardless of her form, she never lets up, and was completely spent at the end.
She heads home with two sprint victories in addition to her strong overall ranking, and cannot be disappointed despite her inability to repeat her second place overall finish from a year ago.
The Norwegians dominated the day, taking the top three places. After Johaug came Marte Elden, who also skied very well in the mass start. Elden moved up into ninth overall.
Marthe Kristofferssen rounded out the day’s podium edging Kowalczyk by 5.4 seconds. She ended her Tour in seventh, and with Marit Bjoergen and Kristin Stoermer Steira both watching from home, the Norwegian women’s team is looking exceptionally strong.
Astrid Jacobsen placed 10th in the overall, and Ingvild Oestberg 14th, giving Norway five of the top-14.
Finn Krista Lahteenmaki held her position, placing eight overall, a breakthrough performance for the 20-year-old, who showed good form in all events.
She was the top Finn as both Aino Kaisa Saarinen and Ritta Liissa Roponen had disappointing Tours.
American Kikkan Randall placed 23rd on the day, and finished her first Tour in 21st.
Only 32 women managed to survive to the top of the Alpe Cermis, as illness and fatigue took a major toll in this test of endurance.
It’s all over but the climbing. Justyna Kowalczyk (POL), despite being pressed by Therese Johaug (NOR), all but ended the 2011 Tour de Ski, skiing to victory in the women’s 10km mass start classic, and winning every intermediate bonus sprint.
Kowalczyk and Johaug shattered the field less than two kilometers in, opening a margin that would reach nearly a full minute by the end.
The Pole should have no trouble defending her Tour title, now sitting an insurmountable 2:08 ahead of Marianna Longa (ITA) in the overall.
Johaug and Kowalczyk leading early
And while today was the last chance to catch Kowalczyk, the field had their work cut out for them. A stronger classic skier, and one of the best climbers in the world, the technique and course suited Kowalczyk well.
For the first time in days, she was able to put significant time on her competition, but it was actually Johaug who led the charge.
The diminutive Norwegain, skiing with her trademark high tempo, went to the front on the first climb and immediately opened a gap. Only Kowalczyk could follow, though several others tried.
Petra Majdic (SLO), winner of both Tour sprints, but lacking her top distance form, gave her usual best effort, but had neither the body nor the skis. Slipping badly on the hills, the tall Slovenian had to give up the chase, and was ultimately swallowed by the remains of the pack.
Aino Kaisa Saarinen (FIN) also pushed hard early, and was initially able to minimize the damage. But the duo at the front kept driving the pace.
Kowalczyk led into the first bonus sprint, with Johaug trying to gain an advantage in the draft. But as expected, Kowalczyk held a significant edge in the double pole and easily held on for the 15 seconds.
Johaug was unphased and continued to attack on the climbs, happy to take the lead for significant stretches, and the gap on the rest of the field widened.
The second bonus sprint was nearly identical to the first, with Kowalczyk again holding Johaug at bay. Saarinen took third both times through, but an impressive Marte Elden (NOR) attacked hard in the last lap, catching first Longa in fourth, and then Saarinen. Longa caught a ride, and the two quickly dropped the Finn.
At the front, Kowalczyk made her move on the last climb. Johaug didn’t break, but she did bend, and Kowalczyk gained all she needed over the top of the hill, double poling in for a six-second victory. Johaug didn’t let up until she was over the line, collapsing in a heap, exhausted but elated after moving from ninth to fifth in the overall standings, and within reach of the podium.
“This was a really good race, my skis were perfect, the shape was also good and Therese Johaug was perfect,” said Kowalczyk. “It was really good to work with her, almost like a Polish-Norwegian team.”
Kowalczyk and Johaug at the finish.
Johaug also felt good, telling Langrenn.com, “I felt early that this was my day and I felt like I skied more and more relaxed as the race went on. I am happy that I was able to ski with Kowalczyk and set the speed for the race. I was almost surprised when they said I was 1.20 ahead of Charlotte Kalla.”
Longa, gaining a second wind after Elden came by, pulled away from the Norwegian in the same spot Kowalczyk made her move, taking third on the day, and moving up to second overall.
Arianna Follis (ITA), second overall starting the day, appeared to struggle early, but came back to place sixth. She lost any hope of catching Kowalczyk, but remained on the overall podium, 25 seconds down on Longa.
A better climber and skater, Follis could very well improve on her third place finish from last year.
Majdic held onto the fourth spot overall, but given her distance struggles, and with Johaug 12 seconds back, and Charlotte Kalla (SWE) 31 down, she will be hard-pressed to stay in the top-5.
Kalla had a disappointing day. She started in fourth, but never got it going, struggling with her kick. She battled to 15th, losing significant ground.
Saarinen ended up 5th, a strong result, but her hopes in the overall were dashed by a brutal race in the pursuit. She won’t even be able to reach the top-10.
Norway placed five skiers in the top-12, and now has five of the top-16 overall. Elden posted her best-ever World Cup result, cracking the top-5 for this first time in her career.
“It’s not just no-names who are in front of me,” Johaug told Langrenn.com when asked of her chances of reaching the overall podium. “These are some of the best skate skiers in the world. If it works out, it works out, if it doesn’t, that’s just the reality.”
Johaug had the fastest time on the final climb two years ago.
American Kikkan Randall struggled to 27th in the 36-woman field, losing nearly four minutes to the leaders. She is still within reach of the top-20 overall, just two places out.
Of the three Tour de Ski stages remaining this morning, it had to be the 16km freestyle that frightened leader Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) the most.
A stronger classic skier, and a ferocious climber, Kowalczyk should be confident with the last two stages – a 10km classic mass start, and the famous final climb.
But the handicap start event in Toblach was an excellent opportunity for her competiton to make up ground.
And they did just that. The Pole held on to her first place overall, but her lead has dropped to under 30 seconds, with Arianna Follis (ITA), Marianna Longa (ITA), and Charlotte Kalla (SWE) all cutting into the margin.
While one cannot say the Kowalczyk “struggles” in skating, it is her weaker technique. According to her personal blog, she often suffers pain in her legs while skating, and had issues today. She still looked plenty strong, charging up the climbs with her usual unorthodox style.
Petra Majdic (SLO), winner of Wednesday’s skate sprint, predicted she would pay a price for that victory. She was quickly reeled in by the trio of Kalla, Follis and Longa who started within a few seconds of each other in fourth through sixth position.
Majdic was hurting, but she hung tough as is her wont, refusing to back down. She was finally sprung at the 10k mark, but kept pushing to maintain position.
The Italians and lone Swede continued to work together, and slowly pulled in Kowalczyk. With 5k to go, it was clear they would not catch the leader, but they could narrow the gap as much as possible.
Kalla took over the lead with one kilometer to go, and dropped the hammer. Follis and Longa latched on, and were able to outsprint a spent Kalla in the homestretch.
Majdic came across in 5th, and with a recovery day, will have an opportunity to bounce back for the classic.
There were few other changes in the top-10, with several skiers moving just a place. Unlike the men’s race where three large packs formed, the women in the top-12 skied alone or in small groups.
American Kikkan Randall starting in 17th, locked in with the one large pack, and finished strongly to move up to 15th overall.
With a continuing rash of withdrawals, the Tour field is now down to just 39 women.
Racing continues on Saturday, following a rest day, with the 10km classic mass start.
As most expected, Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) took her six second lead in the 10km classic, and ran it with, dropping the hammer from the get go, and leaving the competition to fight for second.
The handicap start event (as FIS) likes to call it, is actually a true pursuit, with skiers starting based on the results from the previous day. With her victory in the Tour de Ski prologue, and the accompanying 15 bonus seconds, Kowalczyk was in position to do what she does best – go hard at the front.
Charlotte Kalla (SWE) starting in second, may have had a shot to close the gap in a skate race, but with classic the prescribed technique, she quickly became part of an impressive chase group.
Despite the fact that there were as many as four starters a second, the race actually spread out rather quickly. By 1.4 kilometers, Kowalczyk held a 15 second lead and the main chase group consisted of Kalla, Petra Majdic (SLO), Aino Kaisa Saarinen (FIN), Astrid Jacobsen (NOR) and the surprising Krista Lahteenmaki (FIN).
With new snow falling, the best chance to catch Kowalczyk was during the first of the three laps, but the chasers were unable to take advantage.
At the 4.4 kilometer time check Kowalczyk had increased the gap to 22 seconds. Saarinen had taken over the lead of the next group and as the halfway mark approached she turned up the heat.
But each split confirmed the inevitable – this was Kowalczyk’s race, and the only question was how much time she could add to her overall lead.
The race for second continued to evolve, with Italians Marianna Longa and Arianna Follis, Russian Yulia Tchekaleva, and Norwegian Theresse Johaug fighting to bridge up to the main chase pack.
By 7.5 kilometers they had made contact, even as Saarinen continued to drive the pace. Majdic, clearly missing her top gear, struggled to hold on.
The race entered the final large climb. Lahteenmaki moved up to front of the pack, along with Saarinen and Longa, while Kalla finally faltered, unable to find the little bit extra to get over the top with the leaders.
Coming into the stadium it was Lahteenmaki in the lead, a position she maintained to the finish. She was closely followed by Longa and Saarinen, with a small gap to Majdic, who bent quite a bit, but never broke.
Kowalczyk’s victory was no surprise, but 20-year-old Lahteenmaki turned some heads.
The 2010 World Junior Champion in the 5km classic was hardly intimidated, despite having just 13 World Cup starts under her belt. She is now second overall in the Tour, 32.5 seconds down on Kowalczyk. Longa is third, another eight seconds back.
Overall the top-10 women are all within one minute of the lead, and with up to 60 bonus seconds available in Sunday’s sprint, tings could still change in a hurry
At the end of World Cup period I, Norway sits on top of the Nation’s Cup standings, and in a shift from the recent past, it is the women leading the way.
The 4x5km relay in La Clusaz demonstrated exactly how the Norwegians built their points lead, with four women putting on a virtual clinic on their way to a 56 second victory over Italy.
Three of the four Norwegians posted the fasted times on their respective legs, and the only one who didn’t was Therese Johaug, who virtually tied for second with Italy’s Marianna Longa, 18 seconds behind the always-strong Justyna Kowalczyk.
Sweden finished third, +1:24.
Vibeke Skofterud led the way for Norway I, pairing with Astrid Jacobsen of Norway II to open a 15 second gap on the field.
Johaug took over and held position on the second classic leg before handing off to Kristin Stoermer Steira.
“The victory for our team is great,” Steira said following the race. “We all know a relay is a relay and anything can happen, but today all of us were very strong.”
Steira kept the pressure on, adding another 17 seconds to the lead, an insurmountable margin with the undefeated Marit Bjoergen anchoring.
And the Norwegian star did not disappoint, winning the 5km leg by 20 seconds, to keep her perfect record for the season.
Italy, with the inexperienced Virginia de Martin Topranin scrambling, skied a strong race, and never slipped below second place after the first lap. The team was led by veterans Marianna Longa and Arianna Follis, both second in the second and fourth legs.
“It is a hard course but I could ski without the pressure from behind and skied my own race,” Follis said. “Second place is great for this young team!”
None of the Swedes had sensational days, but all were solid, which was good enough for the final podium spot.
Charlotte Kalla skied away from Finnish youngster Krista Lahteenmaki in the final 2.5 kilometers to secure third for Sweden.
The Swiss women could not match the performance of the men’s team, and did not even finish the race after second skier Ursina Badilatti lost two minutes.
Norway II also dropped out despite sitting in third after three legs. While Kristine Skeie was scheduled to anchor, but according to Langreen.com, she was not actually present, and there was never any intention of finishing.
Just how old the Italian National Team mainstays are. In the Olympic relay, the Italians ran three of the same four guys they used not just in their home Olympics in Torino four years ago, but eight years ago in Salt Lake City. There is something to be said for keeping a team together, but there is a massive difference between having Pietro Piller Cottrer, Georgio Di Centa and Cristian Zorzi all in their prime, and what happened in Vancouver.
Di Centa is 38. Zorzi is 38. Piller Cottrer, or ‘Killer Piller’ as he is better known in the skiing world, is 36. If you add in the fourth man, the practically-in-diapers 30 year-old Valerio Checchi, the average age of the Italian men’s relay team is 35.5 years old! And it showed on the results sheet, as the Italians finished far back in ninth. Zorzi, who was known for his anchor-leg relay antics before Petter Northug began churning out highlight reel finishes, didn’t have any magic left for Vancouver.
Also, in a fairly surprising move, Di Centa won his first ever World Cup this year, a 15 k freestyle in Canmore, Alberta. Surprising, because there are very few skiers of Di Centa’s caliber (16 straight years of scoring World Cup points, eight top-20 Overall finishes) who have failed to ever win a race. However, he still lags behind his elder sister Manuela, whose seven Olympic medals and five Olympic Games appearances are doubtlessly driving Giorgio to improve on his mere three Olympic medals.
As for the women, the Italians had three top tier skiers. Arianna Follis was extremely competitive regardless of the distance or technique, one of the very few truly elite all-around women. Her teammate Marianna Longa was a solid distance skier, but like Di Centa, she struggled to find the podium. As a pure sprinter, Magda Genuin has emerged as a legitimate podium threat, but was no more than that last season, as her only podium was a silver in Rybinsk, Russia.
What You Should Know For This Season
The Italians need help on the World Cup, and bad. Di Centa finished 10th Overall, and Piller Cottrer finished 16th, but neither are all-around skiers at their current age. The next Italian in the pecking order was Checchi, in 31st, who like the other two cannot sprint. Between the three best Italian men, they managed to amass a grand total of five sprint points. In today’s World Cup, where being an all-around skier is becoming more of a necessity due to the prevalence of Tour-type events, the Italians are starting to look like dinosaurs.
The younger crowd, relatively speaking, are all good skiers: sprinters Fabio and Renato Pasini, David Hofer, Thomas Moriggl and Roland Clara. But none of those athletes approach the level of Di Centa or Piller Cottrer, who have quarterbacked Italy to success for the last 10 years or so.
Sabina Valbusa, after a long and illustrious career that included nine World Cup podiums and an Olympic bronze medal, joined many other top women and retired.
If you’re struggling to pick out the Italians in a race, check the hat. They seem to go in for fancy hats that often include sparkles, big pom-poms and bright colours.
Who You Should Watch
While most of the buzz is about Federico Pellegrino, mainly because he had some decent World Junior results (and probably because his name is fun to say), FasterSkier would like to direct your attention to Gaia Vuerich.
The 19 year-old Italian finished fourth at the World Junior Championships, and while it wasn’t behind Petter Northug’s little brother, it was behind Swedish sprint-superstar-in-the-making Hanna Brodin – and Vuerich still has another year of competing in junior competitions.
Like Pellegrino, Vuerich scored World Cup points this past season, nipping Pellegrino’s total by 2. Sure, her amassing of 14 points from the one sprint race in Dusseldorf, Germany, isn’t earth-shattering, but she also managed to have some late-season success against some top tier competition. Vuerich edged out none other than Justyna Kowalczyk in a downhill sprint event in the Russian sprint tour last spring – so if FIS manages to bring the new format to the World Cup, Vuerich could have potential.
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/10/23-2.jpg" "23 Teams in 23 Days")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/02/sprint-men-pellegrino-4179-we.jpg" "Federico Pellegrino (ITA), 2nd qualifier.")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2010/02/781714252_2UbJV-L.jpg" "Giorgio Di Centa happily stands with an Italian flag draped over his shoulders.")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/01/Longa_Bimbo01.jpg" "Longa posing with her son after the finish (Photo: Fiemme2013)")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/02/sprint-follis-web.jpg" "Follis in Drammen")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/05/chel-follis-web.jpg" "Follis being interviewed after her medal in the World Championship sprint.")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/05/chel-zorz-web.jpg" "Zorzi cresting the final climb in the 2006 Olympic 4x10km relay. He anchored the Italian team to gold.")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/05/chel-longa-web.jpg" "Marianna Longa in the 10km World Championship classic race")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/02/10k-bjorg-cel-web.jpg" "10k-bjorg-cel-web")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/02/10k-Kowalczyk-web.jpg" "10k-Kowalczyk-web")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/02/10k-bjorg-web3.jpg" "10k-bjorg-web")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/02/10k-Saarinen-web.jpg" "10k-Saarinen-web")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/01/Kowalczyk_Arrivo01.jpg" "Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) Celebrates her Tour de Ski win (Photo: Fiemme2013)")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/01/Johaug01-1.jpg" "Johaug celebrating her second place finish (Photo: Fiemme2013)")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/01/PodioCermis.jpg" "Women's Podium (Photo: Fiemme2013)")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/01/women-tds.jpg" "Johaug and Kowalczyk leading early")
![](http://images.fasterskier.com/2011/01/pair-tds.jpg" "Kowalczyk and Johaug at the finish")
