Race Preview: La Clusaz Classic Mass Starts
[Startlists ready!] Nearly all top skiers are on the start when the World Cup continues with classic mass start races over 10/15 km in La Clusaz this Saturday. Notably absent is Norwegian Petter Northug who is taking it easy after the tough Tour de Ski.
Weather predictions for the race are not the best – while the athletes have posted beautiful pictures from La Clusaz the last days, weather forecast for Saturday is heavy snow which should turn into rain during the day. That means the chances for sprint finish increase as it is difficult to get away in the front – on the other hand the race will be tougher and require more power. The conditions will definitely make the race interesting – both for the skiers and the wax technicians.
Men: Triple for Poltoranin?
With Petter Northug away, the scene is set for a triple for Alexey Poltoranin. Poltoranin has won the two previous classic distance races in the World Cup – the 15 km Mass start in Val di Fiemme and the 5 km prologue style race in Toblach – and surely wants to show that he has kept the good shape from Tour de Ski. Another man to look out for is Dario Cologna – with victory (Falun) and second place (Rogla) in the two 15 km classic mass start races in the World Cup last season. The German Tim Tscharnke won the 15 km classic mass start in Canmore in November in an impressive way – and should also be counted among the favourites.
Top outsiders are the Canadian Len Valjas (second in Val di Fiemme and 3rd in Falun last year on 15 km classic mass start), the German Tobias Angerer (always very strong in classic mass start races – on his way to something big in Val di Fiemme when Legkov made his move between the lanes in the sprint finish), the Italian veteran Giorgio di Centa (5th and 4th in the two previous 15 km classic mass start races) and the Norwegian Eldar Rønning.
In addition to these there are 4-5 other skiers who could end up on top of the podium – this is truly an open race! Skiers like Sundby, Heikkinen, Vylegzhanin, Legkov, Røthe, Bauer, Belov and Olsson all have what it needs to win a classic 15 km mass start race on a top day. Be ready to enjoy!
Women: Can Kowalczyk continue her classic raid?
While the men’s race is very open – the women’s race is more a fight between Polish Justyna Kowalczyk and the Norwegian Marit Bjørgen. Bjørgen is back in the World Cup circus after one month break from competitions due to hearth problems, while Kowalczyk has shown impressive shape in the classic races lately. The big question is how well Bjørgen has managed to keep her shape in this month without racing – and it is also a mental aspect.
In addition to the fight between the two big, this will be a fight between Finland and Norway. Therese Johaug (Norway) will be trying to get in a good position. Tough conditions could play in the Norwegian’s favour. Also look out for Kristin Størmer Steira who has improved this year compared to last season and Vibeke Skofterud who showed good shape in Canmore. The classic skiing of Finns has been very impressive lately – Kyllönen, Lähteenmäki and Saarinen will all be fighting for a place on the podium.
Men starters – historical results
| Name | 2013 Val di Fiemme 2013-01-05 15 km C Mst |
2012 Canmore 2012-12-13 15 km C Mst |
2012 Falun 2012-03-17 15 km C Mst |
2011 Rogla 2011-12-17 15 km C Mst |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POLTORANIN Alexey |  |
+0:00.0 39:01.5 (1) |
+4:52.5 48:07.4 (45) |
+0:01.2 42:43.9 (3) |
|
| COLOGNA Dario |  |
+0:10.6 39:12.2 (11) |
+0:00.0 43:14.9 (1) |
+0:00.2 42:42.9 (2) |
|
| VALJAS Len |  |
+0:00.0 39:01.6 (2) |
+1:20.5 42:35.3 (24) |
+0:01.2 43:16.2 (3) |
|
| TSCHARNKE Tim |  |
+0:00.0 41:14.8 (1) |
+1:13.6 44:28.6 (23) |
+1:40.0 44:22.7 (41) |
|
| HARVEY Alex | |
+0:00.4 39:01.9 (3) |
+0:20.1 41:35.0 (11) |
+1:04.5 44:19.4 (18) |
+0:09.2 42:51.9 (10) |
| ROENNING Eldar |  |
+0:22.1 41:37.0 (12) |
+0:00.4 43:15.3 (2) |
+0:18.1 43:00.8 (17) |
|
| ROETHE Sjur | |
+0:04.7 41:19.6 (2) |
+0:41.4 43:56.3 (16) |
||
| NORTHUG Petter jr. | |
+0:29.3 39:30.8 (28) |
+0:00.0 42:42.7 (1) |
||
| ANGERER Tobias | |
+0:00.9 39:02.4 (5) |
+0:05.7 41:20.6 (3) |
+0:37.0 43:52.0 (15) |
+0:14.9 42:57.6 (13) |
| DI CENTA Giorgio |  |
+0:00.6 39:02.2 (4) |
+0:08.6 41:23.5 (5) |
+0:34.2 43:49.2 (14) |
+0:36.9 43:19.6 (27) |
| BELOV Evgeniy |  |
+0:06.1 41:21.0 (4) |
+0:07.2 43:22.2 (8) |
+0:06.0 42:48.7 (6) |
|
| KERSHAW Devon | |
+0:19.8 39:21.3 (21) |
+0:44.5 41:59.4 (17) |
+0:03.0 43:17.9 (5) |
+0:16.8 42:59.5 (16) |
| DYRHAUG Niklas | |
+0:01.9 43:16.8 (4) |
|||
| OLSSON Johan |  |
+0:02.8 39:04.3 (6) |
|||
| BABIKOV Ivan | |
+0:07.5 39:09.0 (7) |
+0:59.0 42:13.9 (20) |
+0:21.1 43:03.8 (22) |
|
| DOTZLER Hannes | |
+0:14.5 39:16.0 (16) |
+0:09.2 41:24.1 (6) |
||
| LARKOV Andrey | |
+0:13.0 39:14.5 (13) |
+0:13.0 41:27.9 (7) |
||
| FILBRICH Jens | |
+0:17.0 39:18.6 (19) |
+0:31.1 41:46.0 (13) |
+0:23.6 43:38.6 (12) |
+0:18.3 43:01.0 (18) |
| GAILLARD Jean Marc |  |
+0:22.3 39:23.8 (23) |
+0:04.1 43:19.1 (6) |
+0:20.6 43:03.3 (21) |
|
| LEGKOV Alexander | |
+0:15.9 39:17.4 (17) |
+1:31.6 44:46.6 (28) |
+0:02.2 42:44.9 (5) |
|
| DUERR Johannes |  |
+0:08.1 39:09.7 (8) |
+4:11.4 46:54.1 (63) |
||
| MANIFICAT Maurice | |
+3:08.3 44:23.1 (44) |
+0:57.2 44:12.2 (17) |
+0:01.7 42:44.4 (4) |
|
| HELLNER Marcus | |
+0:13.5 39:15.1 (14) |
+1:06.4 44:21.3 (20) |
+0:07.9 42:50.6 (8) |
|
| BESSMERTNYKH Alexander | |
+0:08.8 39:10.3 (9) |
+1:26.8 42:41.7 (28) |
||
| VYLEGZHANIN Maxim | |
+0:16.0 39:17.6 (18) |
+0:34.0 43:48.9 (13) |
+0:08.8 42:51.5 (9) |
|
| NOECKLER Dietmar | |
+0:09.5 39:11.1 (10) |
+1:18.0 44:00.7 (36) |
||
| CLARA Roland | |
+2:45.9 41:47.4 (58) |
+0:39.7 41:54.6 (16) |
+0:10.0 43:24.9 (9) |
+0:37.5 43:20.2 (29) |
| HALFVARSSON Calle | |
+0:12.9 39:14.4 (12) |
+1:46.4 45:01.3 (31) |
||
| SUNDBY Martin Johnsrud | |
+0:06.0 43:20.9 (7) |
+1:00.4 43:43.1 (33) |
||
| BAUER Lukas |  |
+0:14.0 39:15.5 (15) |
|||
| JESPERSEN Chris Andre | |
+0:13.5 41:28.3 (8) |
|||
| JOENSSON Emil | |
+0:16.5 41:31.4 (9) |
|||
| ELIASSEN Petter | |
+0:17.2 41:32.1 (10) |
+0:40.8 43:23.5 (30) |
||
| SEDOV Petr | |
+0:18.2 43:33.2 (10) |
+1:47.6 44:30.3 (44) |
||
| JAPAROV Dmitriy | |
+0:22.9 39:24.4 (24) |
+1:05.7 44:20.7 (19) |
+0:46.2 43:28.9 (31) |
|
| TURYSHEV Sergey | |
+0:50.9 39:52.4 (35) |
+0:21.2 43:36.2 (11) |
||
| REICHELT Tom | |
+0:18.0 39:19.5 (20) |
|||
| RICKARDSSON Daniel | |
+1:06.7 44:21.7 (21) |
+0:13.1 42:55.8 (11) |
||
| FREEMAN Kris |  |
+1:16.3 40:17.8 (40) |
+0:33.8 41:48.7 (14) |
+1:44.8 44:27.5 (42) |
|
| HEIKKINEN Matti |  |
+0:06.7 42:49.4 (7) |
|||
| KUEHNE Andy | |
+0:20.5 39:22.1 (22) |
|||
| UTKIN Alexander | |
+0:38.2 41:53.1 (15) |
|||
| CHEBOTKO Nikolay | |
+0:49.0 42:03.8 (18) |
|||
| GLAVATSKIKH Konstantin | |
+0:22.9 39:24.4 (25) |
+2:04.3 45:19.2 (33) |
||
| PELLEGRIN Mattia | |
+1:32.5 40:34.0 (44) |
+0:49.5 42:04.3 (19) |
||
| VOLZHENTSEV Stanislav | |
+0:14.7 42:57.4 (12) |
|||
| BING Thomas | |
+0:49.1 39:50.7 (34) |
+1:10.0 42:24.9 (21) |
+1:16.6 43:59.3 (35) |
|
| HOFFMAN Noah | |
+0:41.0 39:42.5 (32) |
+1:11.3 42:26.2 (22) |
+2:04.2 44:46.9 (51) |
|
| JAUHOJAERVI Sami | |
+0:16.6 42:59.3 (14) |
|||
| CHERNOUSOV Ilia | |
+0:43.9 39:45.4 (33) |
+1:11.1 44:26.1 (22) |
||
| LINDBLAD Anton | |
+2:26.5 41:28.0 (54) |
+1:12.6 42:27.5 (23) |
||
| CHECCHI Valerio | |
+1:21.0 40:22.6 (41) |
+0:16.7 42:59.4 (15) |
||
| JAKS Martin | |
+1:16.7 44:31.7 (27) |
+0:24.9 43:07.6 (25) |
||
| MORIGGL Thomas | |
+0:39.5 39:41.1 (31) |
+1:14.0 44:29.0 (24) |
+1:19.5 44:02.2 (37) |
|
| KHOKHRYAKOV Nikolay | |
+1:20.7 42:35.6 (25) |
|||
| SHAKIRZIANOV Raul | |
+1:15.0 44:29.9 (25) |
|||
| SOEDERGREN Anders | |
+0:18.4 43:01.1 (19) |
|||
| VELICHKO Yevgeniy | |
+1:55.6 40:57.1 (49) |
+0:19.3 43:02.0 (20) |
||
| NEWELL Andrew | |
+4:39.6 45:54.4 (59) |
+1:42.0 44:56.9 (29) |
+0:23.7 43:06.4 (24) |
|
| OESTENSEN Simen Haakon | |
+0:22.0 43:04.7 (23) |
Women starters – historical results
| Name | 2013 Val di Fiemme 2013-01-05 10 km C Mst |
2012 Canmore 2012-12-13 10 km C Mst |
2012 Falun 2012-03-17 10 km C Mst |
2011 Rogla 2011-12-17 10 km C Mst |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOWALCZYK Justyna |  |
+0:00.0 28:12.9 (1) |
+0:00.0 28:58.4 (1) |
+0:00.0 32:03.7 (1) |
+0:00.0 32:49.7 (1) |
| STEIRA Kristin Stoermer | |
+0:33.1 28:46.1 (2) |
+0:31.8 29:30.2 (7) |
+1:06.0 33:09.7 (5) |
|
| JOHAUG Therese | |
+0:41.0 28:54.0 (4) |
+0:16.3 32:20.0 (3) |
+0:22.0 33:11.8 (2) |
|
| WENG Heidi | |
+1:03.0 29:15.9 (7) |
+0:15.3 32:19.0 (2) |
+1:30.2 34:19.9 (14) |
|
| KYLLOENEN Anne | |
+1:13.0 29:25.9 (13) |
+0:14.3 29:12.8 (2) |
+1:21.0 33:24.8 (12) |
+3:30.2 36:19.9 (44) |
| LAHTEENMAKI Krista | |
+0:39.0 28:51.9 (3) |
+1:21.0 33:24.7 (11) |
+1:13.0 34:02.7 (10) |
|
| FALLA Maiken Caspersen | |
+0:28.1 29:26.6 (3) |
+1:12.3 33:16.0 (7) |
||
| SKOFTERUD Vibeke W | |
+0:29.6 29:28.1 (4) |
+0:27.3 33:17.1 (3) |
||
| SAARINEN Aino- Kaisa | |
+1:01.5 29:14.5 (5) |
+1:27.3 33:31.0 (18) |
+0:47.5 33:37.3 (4) |
|
| RANDALL Kikkan | |
+1:05.0 29:17.9 (11) |
+0:30.5 29:29.0 (6) |
+1:22.2 33:25.9 (14) |
+1:13.2 34:02.9 (11) |
| BJOERGEN Marit | |
+0:21.7 32:25.4 (4) |
|||
| WIKEN Emma | |
+1:01.8 29:14.8 (6) |
|||
| HAAG Anna | |
+1:04.1 29:17.1 (10) |
+1:18.6 30:17.1 (16) |
+1:15.0 33:18.7 (10) |
|
| KALLA Charlotte | |
+1:32.3 29:45.2 (18) |
+1:11.5 33:15.3 (6) |
+1:22.2 34:11.9 (13) |
|
| OESTBERG Ingvild Flugstad | |
+0:30.0 29:28.5 (5) |
+2:03.0 34:06.7 (27) |
+2:35.2 35:24.9 (30) |
|
| ZELLER Katrin | |
+1:17.3 29:30.2 (14) |
+1:11.1 30:09.6 (14) |
+1:21.8 33:25.5 (13) |
+1:41.8 34:31.5 (16) |
| DE MARTIN TOPRANIN Virginia | |
+1:20.8 29:33.8 (16) |
+0:37.5 29:35.9 (8) |
+1:23.8 33:27.5 (16) |
+2:44.1 35:33.8 (37) |
| ROPONEN Riitta-Liisa | |
+1:03.6 29:16.6 (9) |
+1:25.8 33:29.6 (17) |
||
| SHEVCHENKO Valentina |  |
+1:40.8 29:53.7 (21) |
+0:44.3 29:42.8 (9) |
+1:38.7 33:42.4 (20) |
+1:14.5 34:04.2 (12) |
| NISKANEN Kerttu | |
+1:03.5 29:16.4 (8) |
+1:49.5 34:39.2 (20) |
||
| IVANOVA Julia | |
+1:32.5 29:45.4 (19) |
+2:11.1 34:14.8 (32) |
+0:57.0 33:46.7 (5) |
|
| JACOBSEN Astrid Uhrenholdt | |
+1:11.5 29:24.4 (12) |
+1:03.7 33:53.4 (9) |
||
| ISHIDA Masako |  |
+0:51.3 29:49.8 (10) |
+1:42.8 33:46.5 (23) |
+1:00.5 33:50.2 (8) |
|
| IKSANOVA Alija | |
+2:05.9 30:18.8 (27) |
+1:12.3 30:10.7 (15) |
+0:58.8 33:48.6 (6) |
|
| HERRMANN Denise | |
+1:19.6 29:32.6 (15) |
+1:29.3 30:27.7 (19) |
+3:04.7 35:08.4 (38) |
+3:36.5 36:26.2 (46) |
| MEDVEDEVA Polina | |
+1:52.7 30:05.6 (23) |
+1:42.8 33:46.5 (22) |
+0:59.5 33:49.2 (7) |
|
| KRISTOFFERSEN Marthe | |
+1:12.7 33:16.4 (8) |
+1:46.1 34:35.8 (18) |
||
| HAGEN Martine Ek | |
+1:12.8 33:16.6 (9) |
|||
| TCHEKALEVA Yulia | |
+1:25.0 29:38.0 (17) |
|||
| DIGGINS Jessica | |
+1:55.0 30:07.9 (25) |
+1:27.8 33:31.5 (19) |
||
| AHERVO Laura | |
+1:39.1 29:52.1 (20) |
+2:05.1 34:08.8 (29) |
+3:10.1 35:59.8 (41) |
|
| GUSCHINA Mariya | |
+0:55.5 29:54.0 (11) |
+2:08.5 34:12.2 (31) |
||
| ROTCHEVA Olga | |
+1:01.0 29:59.4 (12) |
+2:28.0 35:17.7 (28) |
||
| KHAZOVA Irina | |
+2:34.5 30:47.4 (35) |
+1:09.0 30:07.5 (13) |
+2:20.0 35:09.7 (26) |
|
| DOTSENKO Anastasia | |
+1:50.8 30:03.7 (22) |
+2:35.7 34:39.4 (34) |
||
| FESSEL Nicole | |
+1:23.2 33:26.9 (15) |
|||
| JEZERSEK Barbara |  |
+5:56.7 34:09.6 (55) |
+1:33.3 30:31.7 (22) |
+1:42.0 34:31.7 (17) |
|
| VRABCOVA – NYVLTOVA Eva | |
+1:52.7 30:05.6 (24) |
|||
| AGREITER Debora | |
+2:26.4 30:39.3 (33) |
+1:22.6 30:21.1 (17) |
||
| STEPHEN Elizabeth | |
+2:11.3 30:24.2 (29) |
+1:46.9 33:50.6 (26) |
+2:01.8 34:51.5 (22) |
|
| TIKHONOVA Julia | |
+1:25.5 30:23.9 (18) |
|||
| SMUTNA Katerina | |
+2:03.2 30:16.1 (26) |
+2:02.7 31:01.1 (32) |
+3:02.6 35:06.3 (37) |
+2:19.5 35:09.2 (25) |
| HAGA Ragnhild | |
+1:29.5 30:28.0 (20) |
|||
| BOEHLER Stefanie | |
+2:20.1 30:33.0 (31) |
+2:41.6 31:40.0 (37) |
+1:42.7 33:46.4 (21) |
+2:37.7 35:27.4 (32) |
| SLONOVA Anastasia | |
+1:30.0 30:28.5 (21) |
|||
| BLECKUR Sofia | |
+1:39.2 34:28.9 (15) |
|||
| SHAIDUROVA Larisa | |
+3:48.2 32:01.1 (50) |
+1:33.3 30:31.8 (23) |
||
| MATROSSOVA Marina | |
+3:08.1 31:21.0 (45) |
+1:34.5 30:32.9 (24) |
||
| BROOKS Holly | |
+3:18.0 31:30.9 (47) |
+1:53.8 30:52.2 (30) |
+1:46.5 34:36.2 (19) |
|
| BROCARD Elisa | |
+1:45.2 33:48.9 (24) |
+2:37.0 35:26.7 (31) |
||
| RYDQVIST Maria | |
+1:46.0 33:49.7 (25) |
+3:14.4 36:04.1 (43) |
||
| BJORNSEN Sadie | |
+1:41.2 30:39.6 (25) |
|||
| SHAPOVALOVA Evgenia | |
+1:53.1 34:42.8 (21) |
|||
| KAZAKUL Anastasia | |
+2:07.6 34:57.3 (23) |
|||
| RUPIL Silvia | |
+2:07.6 34:57.3 (24) |
