XC-Predictions: Kuusamo coming up Friday!
The Kuusamo Mini Tour (Ruuka Triple) is the first of three tours in the World Cup this season – consisting of a classic sprint on Friday, an interval start skating race on Saturday (10 / 5 km) and a 15/10 km chasing start on Sunday.
- Set up your predictions here for the overall minitour ( by Friday 10:30 CET)
- Set up your predictions for the sprint here ( by Friday 10:30 CET)
- Set up your predictions for the Saturday 5/10 km free here (by Saturday 10:00 CET)
- Set up your predictions for the Sunday chasing start (individual times) here (by Sunday 10:45 CET)
Some skiers (for example Gällivare winner Martin Johnsrud Sundby) are considering not to start due to the cold weather. In addition several Swedish and Norwegian skiers are sick and will not come to the start either. Charlotte Kalla, Ida Ingemarsdotter, Maiken Falla and Johan Olsson are some of the skiers who are not starting.
Note that the following preview is written before start lists were available. Start lists will be published Thursday evening – typically around 18:00 CET.
Note! The race predictions for the overall MiniTour must be in ahead of the sprint start!
Race preview: Women
Marit Bjørgen is the big favourite in the womens class – as always. With victory in both the 2010 and 2011 editions and a victory in Gällivare last weekend, Kalla not starting and Kowalczyk not in top shape, it is difficult to see somebody else taking the victory. The main contender is Therese Johaug – if she manages to get some bonus seconds from the sprint, she could give Johaug a fight for the overall victory.
In addition to the two Norwegian and Kowalczyk (who finished down on 5th place last year), Kikkan Randall is the big name in the womens class after Gällivare. Also count in the rest of the Norwegians for the fight for the podium.
Race preview: Men
The mens class is a lot more open – as always. Petter Northug is a favourite after his victory last year – in the final chasing start he has the advantage of knowing that he can beat anybody in the last 100 meters. Dario Cologna disappointed last weekend – but the skis and snow has to take some of the blame for the result in Gällivare, so the Swiss will surely be in for the fight. Also count in the Russians – Legkov took the Kuusamo mini tour in 2010.
Eldar Rønning finished 3rd last year, and could be in for the fight for the medals this year as well. Marcus Hellner and the other Swedes should also be counted among the favourites.
Previous editions: Men
Name | 2011 Kuusamo 2011-11-27 25 km M |
2010 Kuusamo 2010-11-28 25 km M |
|
---|---|---|---|
LEGKOV Alexander | 7th | 1st | |
NORTHUG Petter jr. | 1st | ||
COLOGNA Dario | 2nd | 2nd | |
ROENNING Eldar | 3rd | 21st | |
RICKARDSSON Daniel | 13rd | 3rd | |
HELLNER Marcus | 6th | 4th | |
POLTORANIN Alexey | 4th | 15th | |
OLSSON Johan | 5th | 7th | |
VYLEGZHANIN Maxim | 18th | 5th | |
CHERNOUSOV Ilia | 27th | 6th | |
SEDOV Petr | 10th | 8th | |
MANIFICAT Maurice | 8th | 19th | |
BAUER Lukas | 9th | 9th | |
KERSHAW Devon | 20th | 10th |
Previous editions: Women
Name | 2011 Kuusamo 2011-11-27 15 km M |
2010 Kuusamo 2010-11-28 15 km M |
|
---|---|---|---|
BJOERGEN Marit | 1st | 1st | |
KOWALCZYK Justyna | 5th | 2nd | |
JOHAUG Therese | 2nd | 10th | |
SKOFTERUD Vibeke W | 3rd | 6th | |
KALLA Charlotte | 4th | 3rd | |
FESSEL Nicole | 13rd | 4th | |
TCHEKALEVA Yulia | 5th | ||
RANDALL Kikkan | 6th | 19th | |
MAJDIC Petra | 7th | ||
SAARINEN Aino- Kaisa | 7th | ||
LONGA Marianna | 8th | ||
HAAG Anna | 8th | 11st | |
FOLLIS Arianna | 9th | ||
KRISTOFFERSEN Marthe | 9th | ||
STEIRA Kristin Stoermer | 10th |
Sprint – Race preview
The Kuusamo Mini Tour (Ruuka Triple) opens with a classic sprint as has been the tradition for some years. The weather forecast for the weekend is winterly cold – with some runners (for example Gällivare winner Martin Johnsrud Sundby) considering not to start due to the cold weather.
Several Swedish and Norwegian skiers are sick and will not come to the start either. Charlotte Kalla, Ida Ingemarsdotter, Maiken Falla and Johan Olsson are some of the skiers who are not starting.
Women Sprint – Race preview
The races this weekend get started on Friday with a classic sprint (qualification from 10:30 CET – finals from 12:30 CET). With victories in the three last classic sprints in the World Cup last season – and the both the 2010 and 2011 edition of the Kuusamo classic sprint in November, Marit Bjørgen (Norway) is the overwhelming favourite. The action will as usually in Kuusamo be on the uphill coming back into the stadium. With the first sprint of the season, we’ll get to see some skiers which we have not seen yet this season.
Behind Bjørgen it is quite open in the classic sprint scene. Justyna Kowalczyk (Poland) is not yet in shape – and has not managed to deliver results in the Kuusamo sprint the last two seasons. Kalla and Falla are not on the start list due to illness. Julia Ivanova finished the last season very well with two 2nd places in the World Cup on classic sprints, but did not perform well in the national classic sprint race in Muono two weeks ago. Kikkan Randall has not been on the very top in the latest classic sprints, but with the shape she has shown lately she could very well finish top 3 – and even fight with Bjørgen for the win. Astrid Jacobsen has shown good shape but no good results yet – she is definitely one to expect in a final.
Men Sprint – Race preview
Most of the big names will be in the field in the mens class – with a tight fight for the win expected. As always in the Tours, this will be a fight between the all-rounders and the sprinters. The sprinters will surely be hungry for success as this is their first chance to show form this season! In the 8 classic sprints selected as relevant for this race, we have 7 different winners! This is a very open race indeed!
Eirik Brandsdal (Norway) finished the previous season in an excellent way – winning the two last classic sprints in Drammen and Stockholm. Emil Jönsson took the Lahti classic sprint a few days earlier, while Cologna and Kruikov were successful in Otepää and Oberstdorf earlier in 2012. The Kuusamo classic sprint of 2011 saw a Swedish winner – Teodor Peterson – while two Norwegians won the 2010 and 2009 editions – Dahl and Hattestad respectively.
In addition to the winners listed above, count in Northug, Hellner, Petukhov, Morilov and Pettersen among the favourites.
Classic sprints: Men
Name | Stockholm 2012-03-14 SP C Final |
Drammen 2012-03-07 SP C Final |
Lahti 2012-03-04 SP C Final |
Otepaa 2012-01-21 SP C Final |
Oberstdorf 2011-12-31 SP C Final |
Kuusamo 2011-11-25 SP C Final |
Kuusamo 2010-11-26 SP 1.4 km C Final |
Kuusamo 2009-11-28 SP 1.4 km C Final |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
JOENSSON Emil | |||||||||
KRIUKOV Nikita | |||||||||
PETERSON Teodor | |||||||||
COLOGNA Dario | |||||||||
BRANDSDAL Eirik | |||||||||
DAHL John Kristian | |||||||||
HATTESTAD Ola Vigen | |||||||||
PETTERSEN Oeystein | |||||||||
VALJAS Len | |||||||||
POLTORANIN Alexey | |||||||||
PETUKHOV Alexey | |||||||||
JAUHOJAERVI Sami | |||||||||
MORILOV Nikolay | |||||||||
GOLBERG Paal | |||||||||
PANZHINSKIY Alexander | |||||||||
HARVEY Alex | |||||||||
JAPAROV Dmitriy | |||||||||
PASINI Renato | |||||||||
LASSILA Kalle | |||||||||
PENTSINEN Anssi | |||||||||
RETIVYKH Gleb | |||||||||
NORTHUG Petter jr. | |||||||||
NEWELL Andrew | |||||||||
PASINI Fabio | |||||||||
VYLEGZHANIN Maxim | |||||||||
MODIN Jesper | |||||||||
HAMILTON Simeon | |||||||||
CHEBOTKO Nikolay | |||||||||
KJOELSTAD Johan | |||||||||
MANIFICAT Maurice | |||||||||
ROENNING Eldar | |||||||||
PERSSON Simon | |||||||||
HELLNER Marcus | |||||||||
SELLIS Siim | |||||||||
PAAKKONEN Lasse | |||||||||
CHERNOUSOV Ilia |
Classic sprints: Women
Name | Stockholm 2012-03-14 SP C Final |
Drammen 2012-03-07 SP C Final |
Lahti 2012-03-04 SP C Final |
Otepaa 2012-01-21 SP C Final |
Oberstdorf 2011-12-31 SP C Final |
Kuusamo 2011-11-25 SP C Final |
Kuusamo 2010-11-26 SP 1.2 km C Final |
Kuusamo 2009-11-28 SP 1.2 km C Final |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BJOERGEN Marit | |||||||||
KOWALCZYK Justyna | |||||||||
KALLA Charlotte | |||||||||
MAJDIC Petra | |||||||||
IVANOVA Julia | |||||||||
JACOBSEN Astrid Uhrenholdt | |||||||||
FALLA Maiken Caspersen | |||||||||
SKOFTERUD Vibeke W | |||||||||
PROCHAZKOVA Alena | |||||||||
MATVEEVA Natalia | |||||||||
SAARINEN Aino- Kaisa | |||||||||
RANDALL Kikkan | |||||||||
VISNAR Katja | |||||||||
INGEMARSDOTTER Ida | |||||||||
SMUTNA Katerina | |||||||||
SHAPOVALOVA Evgenia | |||||||||
CRAWFORD Chandra | |||||||||
NATSUMI Madoka | |||||||||
KYLLOENEN Anne | |||||||||
MALVALEHTO Mona-Lisa | |||||||||
DOTSENKO Anastasia | |||||||||
LONGA Marianna | |||||||||
JEAN Aurore | |||||||||
FABJAN Vesna | |||||||||
OESTBERG Ingvild Flugstad | |||||||||
FALK Hanna | |||||||||
GAIAZOVA Daria | |||||||||
JOHAUG Therese | |||||||||
BOEHLER Stefanie | |||||||||
FOLLIS Arianna | |||||||||
OLSSON Anna | |||||||||
TURYSHEVA Elena | |||||||||
GJEITNES Kari Vikhagen | |||||||||
FESSEL Nicole | |||||||||
BRODIN Hanna |
10/5 km Free Preview
10 km Free individual start for men and 5 km Free individual start for women have only been part of the World Cup circuit once in the last years – and that is in last years edition of the Kuusamo Tour.
The shorter distance makes the race a bit more similar to a prologue – especially for the women which race only 5 kilometers. However, expect the same runners to have capacity on the 10/5 km as on the 15/10 km Free in Gällivare last weekend.
In the womens class we have the usual favourites. The 5 km might be Johaugs first big chance to beat Marit Bjørgen this season, though. Also look out for Kikkan Randall who got take a popular World Cup victory if everything plays her way.
In the mens class Martin Johnsrud Sundby could repeat last weekend victory on 15 km free – if he takes the chance on starting in cold Finland. Number two and three from last weekend – Hellner and Poltoranin should also be counted in – as well as Northug and Cologna. One man to keep an extra eye on is Matti Heikkinen who showed excellent shape with a 4th place last weekend in Gällivare – now he is on home ground and wants to show results in front of the home crowd.
Name | Gallivare 2012-11-24 15 km F |
Kuusamo 2011-11-26 10 km F |
Sjusjoen 2011-11-19 15 km F |
Gällivare 2010-11-20 15 km F |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
HELLNER Marcus | |||||
NORTHUG Petter jr. | |||||
OLSSON Johan | |||||
SUNDBY Martin Johnsrud | |||||
CLARA Roland | |||||
POLTORANIN Alexey | |||||
COLOGNA Dario | |||||
RICKARDSSON Daniel | |||||
MANIFICAT Maurice | |||||
HEIKKINEN Matti | |||||
HALFVARSSON Calle | |||||
JESPERSEN Chris Andre | |||||
SEDOV Petr | |||||
HARVEY Alex | |||||
ROETHE Sjur | |||||
LEGKOV Alexander | |||||
DOLIDOVICH Sergei | |||||
FISCHER Remo | |||||
BAUER Lukas | |||||
HOFER David | |||||
BERGER Lars | |||||
BELOV Evgeniy | |||||
FREEMAN Kris | |||||
JOHNSRUD SUNDBY Martin | |||||
CHERNOUSOV Ilia |
Name | Gallivare 2012-11-24 10 km F |
Davos 2011-12-10 15 km F |
Kuusamo 2011-11-26 5 km F |
Sjusjoen 2011-11-19 10 km F |
Gällivare 2010-11-20 10 km F |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BJOERGEN Marit | ||||||
JOHAUG Therese | ||||||
KALLA Charlotte | ||||||
SKOFTERUD Vibeke W | ||||||
FOLLIS Arianna | ||||||
RANDALL Kikkan | ||||||
BERGER Tora | ||||||
KRISTOFFERSEN Marthe | ||||||
STEIRA Kristin Stoermer | ||||||
KOWALCZYK Justyna | ||||||
BROOKS Holly | ||||||
FALLA Maiken Caspersen | ||||||
LARSEN Lisa | ||||||
SAARINEN Aino- Kaisa | ||||||
HAGEN Martine Ek | ||||||
FESSEL Nicole | ||||||
FAIVRE PICON Anouk | ||||||
HAAG Anna | ||||||
WENG Heidi | ||||||
TCHEKALEVA Yulia | ||||||
OESTBERG Ingvild Flugstad | ||||||
LAHTEENMAKI Krista | ||||||
SARASOJA-LILJA Riikka | ||||||
KOROSTELEVA Natalia | ||||||
KYLLOENEN Anne |