NORDICWORLDCUP
Kikkan Randall had the highest individual result
of the Tour for the American squad, notching a fifth
place in the freestyle sprint in Toblach. While it may
have been the top result of the Tour for the USA, for
Randall it was laced with disappointment.
“I felt strong enough to contend for the win,” Randall said. “I made some tactical errors and a fall midway through the final cost me a chance to see what
I could do.”
Randall has reached the final round in every freestyle sprint she has entered this season, two of those
appearances ending with World Cup podiums. Despite missing the medals in Toblach, Randall’s “
overall feelings from the sprint day were really positive,”
she said. With every skate sprint she enters, Randall
is proving herself a sure threat to medal in Oslo.
Canadian racers had some impressive performances on the Tour. Devon Kershaw racked up four podiums and his first ever World Cup victory. He faded
from a top three overall standing to seventh place, but
this Tour certainly goes in the books as his strongest
showing on the World Cup ever. Meanwhile, 22-year
old Alex Harvey quietly raced strong in Kershaw’s
shadow. Harvey ended the Tour in 10th place overall,
with a pair of fifth-place finishes and two more top-
10s in individual stage results.
On the men’s side, Dario Cologna of Switzerland
took his second Tour de Ski victory. The young Swiss
grabbed the overall lead early on and never looked
back, skiing consistently in the top few racers and
taking two stage wins to boot. No one even threat-
ened him in the final hill climb; he started the day
with over a minute lead on his first pursuer, Petter
Northug, who, despite eating into Cologna’s lead in
the first part of the race, never gained contact. De-
fending Tour de Ski champion Lukas Bauer of the
Czech Republic filled the bottom step of the podium
in third.
For the women it was as predicted with Poland’s
Justyna Kowalczyk earning her second consecutive
overall Tour victory. Like Cologna, she left little drama
for the end and skied a steady, unchallenged race
to the top of the Alpe Cermis in Val di Fiemme. Be-
hind her, though, young Norwegian Therese Johaug
stormed from fifth to second up the long climb, taking
a dominating stage win by over a minute. Marianna
Longa of Italy held on for third.
While podium finishes for the USST on the World
Cup have become less of a rare sight in the past
few seasons, the question remains: can Americans
be competitive in the Tour de Ski? This year showed
that while members of the U.S. team can dominate
on any given day, they lack the depth and breadth to
be in the top in a long, diverse competition format like
the Tour de Ski.
According to Coach Grover, however, this was a
solid first showing and the U.S. can expect to be
competitive in the future. “In order to be fighting for
a top overall position, the athlete must be able to ski
at a world-class pace in both skate and classic,” he
said. “The key is to never have a stage where the
athlete loses a lot of time.” Experience in this type
of event also plays a huge role. Perhaps some of
Kershaw’s success this year can be attributed to this
being his fifth showing at the Tour, combined with his
even strength across the board, whether it be skate
or classic, sprint or distance.
As Newell put it: “Anyone can be competitive in this
event, but you definitely have to be on. If you show
up to a normal World Cup race and you’re not at your
best, it might affect just one race, but on the Tour, if
you’re not in top shape it’s really going to show.”
Kris Freeman chases Canada’s Ivan Babikov at Val
di Fiemme during the Tour de Ski.
Women’s winner Justyna Kowalczyk
of Poland.
Men’s winner Dario Cologna of
Switzerland.
In Toblach, Italy, Kikkan Randall leads Britta Johansson
Norgren to finish fifth in the fifth stage of the Tour de Ski.
