XC-Predictions: Quebec Sprint Free on Saturday evening!
The Quebec weekend of team sprint and sprint free replaces the traditional Düsseldorf weekend which had its 10th anniversary last season. The sprint is set to go on Saturday evening CET – with the qualification starting at 19:15 CET.
- Set up your predictions here for the Quebec sprint here ( by Saturday 19:15 CET)
The course has some similarities to the Düsseldorf course though – flat but with even more curves. In addition the organizers included a “ski jump” – so there should be enough excitement for both skiers and spectators.
Big names not appearing
There are some big names taking off both the Canadian weekends as they are preparing for Tour de Ski. This includes Marit Bjørgen, Justyna Kowalczyk, Charlotte Kalla, Petter Northug, Dario Cologna and many other of the top distance skiers. Startlists for the sprint were not out when this preview was written, but startlists for the team relay were ready and there was also a list of participants for the sprint.
Men: Morilov or Peterson?
This is the first sprint free of the season, and thus the skiers have not had the possibility to show their shape on the international level yet. Based on last years results, Devon Kershaw (finished 1st and 3rd in the two last free sprints in the World Cup – is now on home ground) will be a very interesting man to follow. In addition look out for Eirik Brandsdal (winner of Milano last year), Ola Vigen Hattestad (not the best season start, but finished the previous season well), Teodor Peterson (four finals – one victory in sprint free last year), Morilov (the Russian was very strong all of the season last year – in the final in nearly all sprint free races) and Petukuv (four sprint free finals – one victory). Peterson, Brandsdal Morilov is my guess!
Women: Time for Randall?
In the womens class the lack of Bjørgen and Kowalczyk makes it more open. Maiken Caspersen Falla had four times top 3 last year – and will be fighting hard against Ida Ingemarsdotter (claiming to not be in top shape on her blog, but we will see about that) and Kikkan Randall (wanting to perform well on North American soil). Chandra Crawford is the home favourite – if she can repeat the season opening of last year on home ground (4th in Düsseldorf free sprint, 2nd in Roggla free sprint), the spectator will go crazy! It will also be interesting to see the big surprise of last years pre-christmas season – the Swiss Laurien van der Graaff!
Note! The usual tables with previous results are below the course preview!
Course Preview
It is a long course – 1720 meters long according to the race program. Here you can see a race preview video and Christoph Eigenmann has posted some pictures of the course on his blog:
Animated course – FIS Cross-country World Cup from Sprint Québec on Vimeo.
There is no snow in the surrounding area, but the organizing committee could produce almost 10.000 m3 of snow in the past weeks thanks to cold temperatures. Here is a video posted by Emil Jönnson going through the course with a camera yesterday:
Men
| Name | Szklarska Poreba 2012-02-17 SP F Final |
Moscow 2012-02-02 SP 1.5 km F Final |
Milano 2012-01-14 SP F Final |
Toblach 2012-01-04 SP F Final |
Rogla 2011-12-18 SP F Final |
Davos 2011-12-11 SP F Final |
Duesseldorf 2011-12-03 SP F Final |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRANDSDAL Eirik |  |
|||||||
| KERSHAW Devon |  |
|||||||
| HATTESTAD Ola Vigen | |
|||||||
| MORILOV Nikolay |  |
|||||||
| PETUKHOV Alexey | |
|||||||
| PETERSON Teodor |  |
|||||||
| COLOGNA Dario |  |
|||||||
| NORTHUG Petter jr. | |
|||||||
| GLOEERSEN Anders | |
|||||||
| WENZL Josef |  |
|||||||
| JOENSSON Emil | |
|||||||
| GOLBERG Paal | |
|||||||
| STRANDVALL Matias |  |
|||||||
| HOFER David |  |
|||||||
| PENTSINEN Anssi | |
|||||||
| DARRAGON Roddy |  |
|||||||
| RETIVYKH Gleb | |
|||||||
| HARVEY Alex | |
|||||||
| PELLEGRINO Federico | |
|||||||
| DAHL John Kristian | |
|||||||
| PETTERSEN Oeystein | |
|||||||
| SCOLA Fulvio | |
|||||||
| TAMBORNINO Eligius | |
|||||||
| KINDSCHI Joeri | |
|||||||
| PASINI Renato | |
|||||||
| HAMILTON Simeon |  |
|||||||
| VOLOTKA Denis |  |
|||||||
| NOECKLER Dietmar | |
Women
| Name | Szklarska Poreba 2012-02-17 SP F Final |
Moscow 2012-02-02 SP 1.5 km F Final |
Milano 2012-01-14 SP F Final |
Toblach 2012-01-04 SP F Final |
Rogla 2011-12-18 SP F Final |
Davos 2011-12-11 SP F Final |
Duesseldorf 2011-12-03 SP F Final |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FALLA Maiken Caspersen | |
|||||||
| BJOERGEN Marit | |
|||||||
| INGEMARSDOTTER Ida | |
|||||||
| KOWALCZYK Justyna |  |
|||||||
| RANDALL Kikkan | |
|||||||
| KOROSTELEVA Natalia | |
|||||||
| CRAWFORD Chandra | |
|||||||
| MATVEEVA Natalia | |
|||||||
| VAN DER GRAAFF Laurien | |
|||||||
| DOTSENKO Anastasia | |
|||||||
| BRODIN Hanna | |
|||||||
| HERRMANN Denise | |
|||||||
| BARTHELEMY Laure | |
|||||||
| OESTBERG Ingvild Flugstad | |
|||||||
| SAARINEN Aino- Kaisa | |
|||||||
| FABJAN Vesna |  |
|||||||
| LAHTEENMAKI Krista | |
|||||||
| KYLLOENEN Anne | |
|||||||
| JACOBSEN Astrid Uhrenholdt | |
|||||||
| WENG Heidi | |
|||||||
| SARASOJA-LILJA Riikka | |
|||||||
| KRISTOFFERSEN Marthe | |
|||||||
| EIDE Mari | |
|||||||
| DIGGINS Jessica | |
|||||||
| MALVALEHTO Mona-Lisa | |
|||||||
| KOLB Hanna | |
|||||||
| GAIAZOVA Daria | |
|||||||
| ZELLER Katrin | |
|||||||
| SOEMSKAR Linn | |
|||||||
| FESSEL Nicole | |
|||||||
| ERIKSSON Mia | |
|||||||
| JEAN Aurore | |
|||||||
| VISNAR Katja | |
|||||||
| PROCHAZKOVA Alena |  |
|||||||
| NYVLTOVA Eva |  |
