Why "Tour de Ski" - main tournament winter season
8 races in 10 days, a chance to win for Legkov, ski climbing and the most generous prize money - a site about what the Tour de Ski is and why it is worth seeing
Tour de France for skiers
The ski multi-day "Tour des ski" does not stretch for three weeks, as for cyclists, but 8 starts in 10 days, and in the mountains it is also an overload. And if you count on a high final place, none of them can fail. In the overall standings, the time spent on each distance is added: a big loss in just one race can make even victories with a tiny margin in the previous ones meaningless. In such energy-intensive circumstances, it is especially important to be able to use the rest time correctly. Thus, two-time Olympic champion-2010 Peter Nortug travels to the Tour des Ski in a specially equipped double-decker bus. It has everything you need to rest after the race and during the transition from stage to stage - from a comfortable bed to a Playstation. But Alexander Legkov believes that a "home on wheels" is not the most convenient option for a "Tour des ski". It is difficult to move along the serpentine roads in bulky vehicles, much faster - to get to the hotel in a regular car and relax there.
This time, the participants of the "Tour" will have three transfers: from the Swiss Lenzerheide to the German Oberstdorf, from there to the Italian Toblach, and then another 124 km to Val di Fiemme, where the race ends traditionally.
Due to the lack of snow in Oberstdorf, Germany, the schedule of the second stage had to be shaken up a bit - the sprint races were moved a day earlier, and the skiathlon (race in two styles, with a change of skis - Matchtv.ru) was replaced with shorter mass starts. The final program looks like this: 2 sprints (free and classic style), 3 mass starts (classic, 10/15 km - women / men), 2 pursuit races (free style, 5 and 9 km) and a time trial (free style, 5/10 km). Only those who have passed all the previous races will be allowed to the final distance.
A real chance to win for AlexanderPassenger
Since his heroic victory in the marathon at the Sochi Olympics, Alexander Legkov has won nothing. Last season was lost due to illness and a change in training group. The current Alexander started without brilliance, but confidently and evenly - he is 10th in the overall standings of the World Cup. Even the leader of the season, Norwegian Martin Sundby, remarked in an interview that Legkov had finally finished celebrating his victory in Sochi and got back in shape. At the start of the Tour de Ski-2016, Alexander Legkov is one of the main favorites. He is the best miner in the world. He won the Tour in 2013 - then he was not prevented by either a 15-second penalty for incorrect lane changes in the penultimate race, or an accidental violation of the route during the final climb of Alpe Cermis. Fortunately, the fans put Legkov back on track in time. And besides, this year the Tour de Ski is the main start of the season for skiers. Neither the Olympics nor the World Cup, for the sake of which you can score on everything else, are not on the schedule.
Successful format ski competitions for TV and sponsors
The idea of \u200b\u200b"Tour des ski" arose 10 years ago with a comic dispute over which of the skiers is stronger - sprinters or distancers. So they came up with a tournament that should determine the most versatile skier. But more importantly, in the early 2000s, skiing needed a new, more attractive competition format for viewers and sponsors in order to gain the attention of biathlon TV. The experiment was successful. Annually, about 20 thousand fans come to each stage of the "Tour", and in 2015 the TV audience of the stage was 70 million people. The sponsors also liked the new product. Audi, Helvetia, Le Gruyere and Polar joined the first Tour des Ski partners Viessmann and Craft Sportswear.
Highest prize money in winter species sports
Excluding hockey, of course. The commercial success of the Tour de Ski allows the organizers to award high prizes. They don't pay too much for a won race - 2,700 euros (for comparison, in biathlon - 13 thousand), but for a victory in the overall standings, you can get 93 thousand (in biathlon - 28, in the Four Hills Tournament - 20). In addition, in the Tour de Ski, like the cyclists in the Tour de France, there is a separate sprint event, the winner of which will be richer by 5,500 euros.
Ski climbing
Tour de Ski's business card is the final race in Val di Fiemme. The skiers start at the time shown in the previous races, that is, they catch up with the leader - and who is the first at the finish line, he won the "Tour". The main attraction of the 9 km distance is the ascent to the Alpe Cermis mountain. The steepness of the slope, which skiers climb, in some sections reaches 29%. The difference in altitude from start to finish is 400 meters (890–1290 m above sea level), and the heart rate of athletes jumps from 137 beats per minute in the first half of the race to 180–190 beats at the final 500 meters. On the last two kilometers, when the incline reaches 29%, even very strong skiers practically go on foot, there is no energy left for hire. So, it is precisely the climb to the Alpe Chermis that prevents the great Northug from fulfilling his dream and becoming the winner of the "Tour". He passed "inside and out" all 9 tournaments, won the most races (13), was on the final podium six times, but he just can't become a champion. On the eve of Tour 2016, he joked that he would be a favorite if on the last day it was necessary to descend from Alpe Cermis, and not climb it. Nortug believes his weight is the problem. 83 kg is too much for such a steep mountain. But the Norwegian cannot do anything about it. In an interview, Peter nodded to genetics: no matter how many crackers and bananas he ate, he would not be able to lose weight. Northug's only chance is to create the largest possible handicap for himself before the final race. In order not to be caught up.
Opportunity to beat the Norwegians in cross-country skiing
Norway's Martin Sundby has won all of the World Cup distance races this season. In the relay at one of the first stages, the three first places were taken by the three national teams of Norway. In the top five overall standings Women's World Cup - 4 Norwegians. This is a summary of Norwegian hegemony in the 2015/16 season. The bookmakers' main favorites of the current Tour are also from Norway. Teresa Johaug and Martin Sundby. However, the stage race has become "Norwegian" only in the last two years: two wins against Sundby among men and one each against Johaug and Marit Bjorgen - among women. Prior to that, the men were won by the Swiss Cologna (three times), the Czech Bauer (twice), the German Angerer and the Russian Legkov; among women, the Swedish skier Kalla, Virpi Kuytunen from Finland (twice) and Justyna Kowalczyk from Poland (4 wins) became champions.
Live broadcasts of Tour de Ski on Match TV:
17.50 - men's and women's sprint, free style
14.55 - mass start, women, 15 km, classic style
16.55 - mass start, men, 30 km, classic style
13.40 - Pursuit, men, 5 km, freestyle
15.30 - Pursuit, women, 5 km, free style
16.00 - mass start, women, 10 km, classic style
15.00 - time trial, women, 5 km, free style
5.40 pm Pursuit Men 9 km Free Style
Text: Igor Osipov
A photo: globallookpress.com
The decisive race performed Ustyugov the Tour de Ski was preceded by a women's final and a service competition. In the first, ours, unfortunately, could not stay in the first "six" and on the mountain rolled back to the tenth position. That for Chekaleva all the same - the best result in her career at a stage race and a very worthy performance.
The ascent really turned out to be very difficult, - noticed after the race Chekaleva... - The hardest part was in the middle of the mountain, where the steepest places are. It was a turning point when the girls rolled forward from me. On the gently sloping part, I then seemed to have increased strength. But even "ten" is not bad, I have never climbed so high on the "Tour" before.
- Is it true that climbing the Alpe de Cermis is the most difficult race in the world calendar?
Of course, this is very difficult. In the morning it was very scary even to think about how we were going to get up here. But I reassured myself that it was equally difficult for everyone. Plus, the coaches told me about the distance: where to be patient, where it is a little easier to go with an alternating move.
The very coaches who suggested Chekaleva and her teammates, a few hours earlier, had experienced all the delights of climbing the Alpe de Cermis on their own skin. The servicemen's race was attended by mentors and representatives of service teams from all leading teams. High ranked second Egor Sorin - assistant in the group, that is, one of the mentors Ustyugov, and in the past - a member of the national team. It is curious that immediately following Sorin, a minute behind, finished Reto Burgermeister - another specialist directly related to current success Ustyugov.
Until the fall of this year, Sergei was preparing in the group of Burgermeister and his assistant Isabelle Knaute... And also, under the leadership of this tandem, a year ago he won third place at the Tour de Ski. Knaute said more than once that Ustyugov is the most gifted athlete she has ever worked with. In these post-New Year days, Isabelle's words were finally believed by all of Russia.
THE LIFT WAS THE ONLY HEALTHY SPORTSMAN
Ustyugov right after the New Year, we really managed to accomplish what seemed incredible. With his winning streak of five (!) Races in a row, Sergei made the country distract not only from festive table, but also from a prolonged doping hysteria. "I am Russian and I am" clean "!" - under this motto Ustyugov went through the entire current multi-day event. Likewise with the final ascent: Ustyugov stormed him not only for himself, but for all honest russian skiers... In the case of Sergei, this is not pathos, but reality.
1 minute 12 seconds of advantage over the second Norwegian who started - the figure is deceiving. Given the unpredictable nature of the mountain, even more than a minute was not enough for Ustyugov to feel calm. But Sundby also required superhuman efforts combined with luck to win.
Ustyugov performed the final climb perfectly well. On the starting six-kilometer flat part I walked calmly, without straining. Sundbyhowever, he followed the same tactics and did not particularly try to get close. With the beginning of the steep part, the difference in the technique that the skiers decided to use became obvious. Powerful Ustyugov went up the rise with a more economical alternating step, while trying to move at a high pace. Sundby was one of the few who, even uphill, did not give up pushing with sticks under each leg. This style, taking into account the huge degree of rise, requires incredible physical costs. But the Norwegian had no choice but to go all-in.
It soon became clear that Sundby not. On the steepest sections, the separation from Ustyugov decreased, but even about 50 seconds would have been more than enough for a Russian to win. Sergei churned out his giant steps up the mountain, not looking back and as if not even seeing anyone around. In this race, he did not look like a hare, which the whole peloton was catching up with, but a real king, master of the situation.
At the finish line, the gap from Sundby exceeded a minute again, but it didn't matter anymore. Ustyugov did not take the flag or even throw up his hands. I just fell into the snow as soon as I crossed the finish line. He no longer had the strength for anything else.
The absolute winner of five races out of seven on the stage race, the second in the history of the country (the first was in 2013), the overall winner of the Tour de Ski ... Among other things, Ustyugov did huge step to become the first in the overall standings of the World Cup at the end of the year. And none of ours have been able to do this for many years.
“It's great that the climb to the Alpe de Cermis was once again won by the only healthy athlete. At least among men,” the two-time tweeted olympic champion from Poland . Remember, the slogan of the Olympics in Sochi was the phrase "Hot. Winter. Yours", and our creative people never altered this trinity? So, "Russian, clean, first" - seems to be the new motto of our sport by a skier Ustyugov.
VAL DI FEMME (Italy). Tour de Ski. Msuppers.
Final, 9 km (C).1. USTYUGOV - 30.27.7. 2. Sundby (Norway) - lag 1.02.9. 3. Gift. Colony (Switzerland) - 1.19.1. 4. Manifica (France) - 1.26.9. 5. Heikkinen (Finland) - 1.31.3. 6. Helner (Sweden) - 2.05.8 ... 13. IMMORTAL - 5.14.1 ... 22. LARKOV - 8.02.3 ... 27. MELNICHENKO - 10.01.1 ... 29. SEDOV - 10.14.8 ... 36. Vokuev - 12.18 , 0.
GENERAL CREDIT.1. USTYUGOV - 3: 24.47.9. 2. Sundby - lag 1.02.9. 3. Colonies - 1.19.1. 4. Manifestation - 1.26.9. 5. Heikkinen - 1.31.3. 6. Helner - 2.05.8. 7. Harvey (Canada) - 2.39.7. 8. Kruger (Norway) - 3.27.2. 9. Holund (Norway) - 3.50.4. 10. Dyurhaug (Norway) - 4.24.9 ...
A smart one will not go uphill - he will run. For Sergei Ustyugov, being the first at the top of the Alpe de Cermis meant not only winning the prestigious Tour de Ski, and not only getting more than 100 thousand prize money in Swiss francs, but also proving to everyone that Russians can win without doping. He proved it.
January Ustyugov surprised and even stunned not only those who follow cross-country skiing with half an eye. The rivals, experts, domestic specialists were surprised - everyone who was well aware of the capabilities of a talented Siberian, but for a long time did not reveal all his capabilities. Yes, there were victories at the junior and youth world championships, there was fifth place at the Sochi Olympics, there was a bronze medal in the relay at the adult world championship, and third place overall at the Tour de Ski last year. But now he has done what even superstars such as Petter Northug, Dario Cologna and Martin Sundby could not do.
24-year-old native of Mezhdurechensky (this is the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug)
won five Tour de Ski stages in a row, starting with the first. This does not happen, it cannot be so under any circumstances.
- different distances, different styles and venues. Over the 11 years of its presence in the sports world, the pearl of the ski season, there has been a handful of station wagons who are equally capable of withstanding sprint specialists, distancers and classic masters.
This is the Tour de Ski - a super marathon of eight (this season - seven) races following each other, like in cycling. Compare with bike rides for all their exclusivity ski tour it is possible, but the Tour de Ski is no easier. It requires a combination of a wide variety of qualities and skills, horse endurance, and the ability to recover in the shortest possible time. Failure at one distance cannot be made up for, it will not be possible to sit out, just to go through the "Tour" from beginning to end is already evidence of belonging to the elite.
Ustyugov potentially belonged to the elite for several years, but for quite a long time remained in the shadow of both the strong Russian sprint cohort and the powerful remote controllers led by Alexander Legkov. The first coach of Sergei Ustyugov, Ivan Bragin, says that until the age of 15, his pupil generally chose between skiing and biathlon, and he achieved his first successes as a sprinter. IN olympic Sochi Ustyugov was the shadow favorite of the sprint, and only an offensive fall in the final deprived him of olympic awards... And last season he was already considered one of the most promising station wagons, which was proved by the bronze medal at the Tour de Ski.
Today, the prelaunch alignment has sharply corrected the consequences of the second part of the report of the commission of Richard McLaren.
Immediately before the start of the Tour de Ski International Federation skiing suspended the leaders of the Russian national team from the competition for an indefinite period - olympic champion and the 2013 Tour de Ski winner Alexander Legkov, as well as Maxim Vylegzhanin and Evgeny Belov. In addition to Ustyugov, there was no one to compete with the favorites, and he said on the eve of the start that he would try to win.
The piquancy of the situation was added by the fact that Sergei Ustyugov joined the group of the German specialist Markus Kramer only this fall. Kramer for several years unofficially supervised the preparation of Alexander Legkov, with the light hand of which the German has now officially started working with the Russian national team. But even a magician could not provide for two or three months not just a jerk, but downright rebirth of even a talented racer. Apparently, Ustyugov's hour came as a result of many years of hard work, and Markus Kramer managed to give it a cut and shine.
It all started with the New Year's victorious sprint in Val Mustair, Switzerland. In the same place Ustyugov won the 10-kilometer mass start in the classics, and in the same place the two-time winner of the Tour de Ski Martin Jonsgrud Sundby, who happily escaped a long disqualification for violation of anti-doping rules, grabbed hold of him. In Oberstdorf, Germany, in the next two races, the fate of the current stage race was essentially decided, and it was Sundby who twice tried to displace Ustyugov from the leadership position.
Even Markus Kramer was confident that the Norwegian would succeed at some point. In the skiathlon at a 20-kilometer distance, Sundby lost only 0.6 seconds, in the pursuit the Russian until the last felt the breath of the main rival behind his back, but in the end he "brought" more than half a minute. And already in Italian Tolbakh, Sergei Ustyugov completely made the whole gasp sports worldwinning individual race 10 km free style, and for the fifth consecutive victory setting the record "Tour de Ski", which will not be beaten soon. The advantage over the second prize-winner, Frenchman Maurice Monifika was only 0.4 seconds. Those who are lucky are lucky, and Ustyugov drove and led this, perhaps the most difficult race for him. However, there are no easy stages at the Tour de Ski.
Ustyugov gave only one stage, the penultimate one - in the Italian Val di Fiemm. But what does "give" mean? He finished second after Martin Sundby, losing nothing to him and falling exhausted after the finish. Two Russians, Andrey Larkov and Alexander Bessmertnykh, helped the leader to leave the critical advantage for the pursuers, who did not let Martin Sundby or the three-time winner of the Tour de Ski, Dario Cologne, run away.
Both Sundby and Cologne are "mountain kings" if that title applies to skiing. Although the three-kilometer climb to the Alpes de Cermis is quite suitable, and the red-bearded Norwegian probably could have played 72 seconds against the former Ustyugov. But this time, if Sundby still had hopes, it was only before the start of the decisive rise: the leader, albeit on autopilot, still went to absolute victory... Later Ustyugov will say that his condition at that moment was such that words cannot convey. Sundby didn't play ten seconds.
It was, if not a great, then a very great victory. It is even difficult to compare it with anything. It will undoubtedly raise questions and even doubts, as the future winner spoke about during the race: “Everyone thinks that if you are Russian and you skate well, then you have been“ pumped up ”with something. This is not true!".
The head of the International Ski Federation, Gianfranco Kasper, said that his organization has no claims against Sergei Ustyugov. And thanks for that. There should be at least some islands of calm in the midst of all this doping and anti-doping dregs ...
As for whether Ustyugov dashed too early, and the World Championship in Lahti is still far away, he dashed when necessary. And we will not plan anything for the future. Wrong moment.
The Russian skier continued to fight in the race despite the back problems, but he could not show the speed that would allow him to keep last year's title. Before climbing the Alpe de Cermis, he lost second place overall.
Poltoranin won the classic mass start Tour de Ski, Larkov - the second
All in. There are no other options
After bowling in Oberstdorf, Ustyugov was 53 seconds behind the leader of the Tour de Ski, the Swiss Dario Cologne. And the only chance for him to at least partially win back this gap was the classic mass start in Val di Fiemme. On a normal, not icy track, and no rain.
After all, the race was held with two intermediate finishes, where you could gain bonus seconds. It was due to these very bonuses that Kolonya abruptly left Ustyugov in Oberstdorf. It was possible to win back only in the same way.
Two cutoffs - maximum bonuses
And Ustyugov from the very start of the classic "tag" rushed forward. Together with Alexander Bolshunov, Andrey Larkov, Stanislav Volzhentsev, Alexey Chervotkin. And all the leaders of the Tour de Ski. Sergei set a very high pace for the race. And he kept it exactly half the distance.
He was the first in the first intermediate cut, he became the first and the second, putting a lot of effort. 30 bonus seconds is great. But Cologne was there all the time, receiving bonuses for the third and fourth places. That is, on the cutoffs, Ustyugov played him only 13 seconds. But it was precisely the acceleration in the second cut that took away all of Sergey's strength.
Bonuses plus, race minus
He just got up on the track. Not literally, of course. But Ustyugov tried to regain his strength and slightly slowed down, and the main group, led by Kolonya and Alexei Poltoranin from Kazakhstan, went ahead. Suffice it to say that on the 10-11.1 km segment Ustyugov lost 13 seconds to this group at once.
He did everything possible to keep up with, but ... The race went into a minus. Ustyugov finished only 14th, losing almost 43 seconds to Poltoranin. Plus, a skier from Kazakhstan got 15 bonus seconds for a win, which in total is almost a minute. In general, Poltoranin will go seven seconds ahead of Ustyugov to climb the Alpe de Cermis.
And very close - Alex Harvey, Alexander Bolshunov and Martin Jonsrud Sundby. The fight for the prizes will be very tough. And the winner is already known.
Ustyugov is furious. Bowling instead of skis was held on the Tour de Ski
Rain, high speed, broken skis and poles, falls, a failed fight - this is how the mass start took place in Oberstdorf.
Colonya's victory, Larkov's podium
Only failure to start the final race can prevent Dario Cologne from winning the Tour de Ski for the fourth time in his career. He starts 1.15 ahead of everyone, and this advantage is enough. Especially for a skier in great shape. Tomorrow the Swiss will catch up with the Polish woman Justina Kowalczyk in the number of titles at the Tour de Ski.
Of ours, as already mentioned, Ustyugov and Bolshunov will fight for prizes. Andrey Larkov will not be able to intervene in this dispute, who had an excellent race before the finish of the multi-day race. In the classic mass start, he took second place. Larkov was the only one of ours who managed to catch on to the leaders, and in the final showdown he lost only 0.4 seconds to Poltoranin.
For Larkov, this podium was the first in his career at the stages of the World Cup.
Norwegian cut
But among women, the struggle has escalated to the limit. Heidi Veng, who caused a scandal after the finish of the skating mass start, managed to choose a minute behind Ingvild Ostberg. Both Norwegians will go up the hill at the same time.
The Russians Anastasia Sedova and Natalya Nepryaeva, who finished in seventh and eighth places, had an excellent race. But they have no chance of winning prizes at the end of the Tour. Places in the top ten will be a good result.
Today, January 7, at 16:30 Moscow time, at the VII stage of the 12th traditional ski race Tour de Ski-2018 in the Italian Val di Fiemme, a 9 km free style pursuit race starts with a finish at the top of the legendary mountain Alpe di Cermis. Nine of the 11 leaders managed to win the Tour de Ski after the penultimate race. Only Dario Cologna in 2013 and Petter Nortug in 2010 missed out on the uphill lead. Both skiers ended up second. We bring to your attention the statistical facts about final stage Tour. MEN, 9 km, FREE STYLE, PURSUIT RACE
Nine of the 11 leaders managed to win the Tour de Ski after the penultimate race. Only Dario Cologna in 2013 and Petter Nortug in 2010 missed out on the uphill lead. Both skiers ended up second.
All of the previous 11 Tour de Ski winners were in the top 2 overall before the last race. Alexander Legkov in 2013 and Lukasz Bauer in 2010 started second. The gap between Legkov was 6.5 seconds, Bauer's - 8.3 seconds.
Only two of the last six uphill race winners (in net time) managed to climb to the podium in the race: Martin Jonsrud Sundby in 2015/16 (first) and Chris Jespersen in 2013/14 (second).
Bauer in 2010 and Tobias Angerer in 2007 also showed the best time and won the race.
Sundby (2) and Bauer (2) are the only ones to have won the Tour de Ski pursuit more than once.
Only Sundby managed to win two pursuit races in the same Tour in 2015/16 (the second pursuit was added to the race program in 2014/15). This year Dario Cologna won the 15 km pursuit at stage III in Lenzerheide.
No athlete has won more World Cup pursuit races than Maurice Manifica, who has 4 wins. Sundby and Bauer have won such races three times.
Four of Manifica's nine World Cup victories are in pursuit.