Why the Tour de Ski is the main tournament of the winter season. Ski climbing
Val Mustair. Switzerland
Stage 1. Sprint, freestyle
Like last year, the Tour de Ski will not start with a prologue (racing short distance with a separate start), but from a skating sprint. For the first time in Val Mustair, home of the Cologna brothers, where the Tour de Ski will take place for the third time, not one but two stages will take place.In qualifying, the seeded group of athletes, determined by the current position in the World Cup, will start first. Athletes in it will be located in the reverse order. The starting order for other competitors will be determined by their sprint FIS points.
Prize seconds: The first 30 riders will receive bonus seconds. Winner - 60, 2nd place - 56, etc.
Broadcast schedule:
Sprint, free style, men, women.
Final races
Eurosport 23:45, Match! Arena (16:45) (Direct)
Stage 2: 5 km women / 10 km men, mass start, classic style
The leader of the overall stage standings after stage I will start first and will receive a starting jersey with number 1. The rest of the riders will also receive starting position and number in accordance with their position in the overall standings of the multi-day event after stage I.
Prize seconds:
Broadcast schedule:
Men's 10 km classic style, mass start
Eurosport 14:45 (Direct), MatchTV (14:55) (Direct)
Women's 5 km Classic Mass Start
Eurosport 18:00 (Direct), MatchTV (18:25) (Direct)
Oberstdorf. Germany
Stage 3: Skiathlon, 5+5 km women / 10+10 km men
The leader of the overall stage standings after two legs will start first and will receive the starting jersey number 1. The other riders will also receive a starting position and a number according to their position in the overall stage standings after two legs.
Prize seconds: There will be one intermediate finish for women and two for men. Bonus seconds in the amount of 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 will be given to the first ten riders who have passed the intermediate cutoff. In addition, 15.10 and 5 bonus seconds will be given to the first three at the finish of the race.
Broadcast schedule:
Men 10+10 km skiathlon
Eurosport 19:15, MatchTV (17:10) (Direct)
Stage 4: Women's 10km / Men's 15km Pursuit Free Style
Start numbers will be issued according to the position of the riders in the overall stage standings after three stages. Athletes will start with a backlog from the leader equal to their backlog in the overall standings of the Tour. In order to avoid too long start intervals, the Competition Jury may decide on a "wave start".
Prize seconds: 15.10 and 5 bonus seconds will be given to the first three at the finish of the race.
Broadcast schedule:
Women's 10 km Freestyle Pursuit
Eurosport 13:15 (Direct), MatchTV (13:25) (Direct)
Men's 15 km Freestyle Pursuit
Eurosport 14:15 (Direct), MatchTV (14:40) (Direct)
Toblach. Italy
Stage 5. 5 km women / 10 km men, separate start, free style
The top 30 riders after the red group will start first, in reverse order from their distance FIS point. The red group (top 15 after four stages) starts next, the riders in it can choose their starting number. 15 top athletes after the first group will start between the seeded riders. The rest of the riders will start in the last group according to their distance FIS point.
Prize seconds: 15.10 and 5 bonus seconds will be given to the winner, silver and bronze medalists race.
Broadcast schedule:
Women's 5 km Freestyle Pursuit
Eurosport 14:30 (Direct), MatchTV (15:00) (Direct)
Val di Fiemme. Italy
Stage 6. 10 km women / 15 km men, mass start, classic style
The leader of the stage overall standings after five rounds will start first and will receive the starting jersey number 1. The other riders will also receive a starting position and a number according to their position in the overall standings of the stage after six rounds.
Prize seconds: There will be one intermediate finish for women and two for men. Bonus seconds in the amount of 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 will be given to the first ten riders who have passed the intermediate cutoff. In addition, 15.10 and 5 bonus seconds will be given to the first three at the finish of the race.
Broadcast schedule:
Women's 10 km Classic Mass Start
Eurosport 18:15, MatchTV (18:15)
Men's 15 km Classic Mass Start
Eurosport 17:15 (Direct), MatchTV (17:25) (Direct)
Stage 7: Ascent to Alpe Cermis - 9 km women / 9 km men, pursuit, freestyle
Start numbers will be issued according to the position of the riders in the overall stage standings after seven rounds. Athletes will start with a backlog from the leader equal to their backlog in the overall standings of the Tour. To avoid too much backlog, the jury may decide to use a "wave start".Prize seconds: on final stage multi-day prize seconds are not provided
Broadcast schedule:
Women's 9 km Freestyle Pursuit
Eurosport 13:30 (Direct), MatchTV (13:25) (Direct)
Men's 9 km Freestyle Pursuit
Eurosport 17:15 (Direct), MatchTV (17:30) (Direct)
Why the Tour de Ski main tournament winter season
8 races in 10 days, a chance for Legkov to win, climbing on skis 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 multi-day ski tour "Tour de ski" does not stretch for three weeks, like cyclists, but 8 starts in 10 days, and in the mountains - this 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 up: a big loss in just one race can make even victories by a tiny margin in the previous ones meaningless. In such energy-intensive circumstances, it is especially important to be able to properly use rest time. So, two-time Olympic champion-2010 Peter Nortug rides the Tour de Ski in a specially equipped double-decker bus. It has everything you need to relax after the race and while moving from stage to stage - from a comfortable bed to a Playstation. But Alexander Legkov believes that the "mobile home" is not the most convenient option for the "Tour de ski". It is difficult to navigate serpentine roads on bulky vehicles, it is 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 Lenzerheide, Switzerland, to Oberstdorf, Germany, from there to Toblach, Italy, and then another 124 km to Val di Fiemme, where the stage race traditionally finishes.
Due to the lack of snow in Oberstdorf, Germany, the schedule for the second stage had to be shaken up a bit - the sprint races were moved a day earlier, and the skiathlon (a race in two styles, with a change of skis - Мatchtv.ru) was replaced with shorter mass starts. The final program looks like this: 2 sprints (free style 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 race (free style, 5/10 km). Only those who have passed all previous races will be allowed to the final distance.
A real chance to win for AlexanderPassenger car
Since his heroic victory in the marathon at the Sochi Olympics, Alexander Legkov has not won anything. Last season was lost due to illness and change training group. The current Alexander started without brilliance, but confidently and smoothly - he is 10th in the overall standings of the World Cup. Even the leader of the season, Norwegian Martin Sundby, in one of his interviews, noted that Legkov had finally finished celebrating his victory in Sochi and got 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 an incorrect rebuilding in the penultimate race, or an accidental violation of the route during the final climb to Mount Alpe Cermis. Fortunately, the fans got Legkov back on the right 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 which you can score on everything else, is not on the schedule.
Successful ski competition format for TV and sponsors
The idea of "Tour de ski" arose 10 years ago from a comic dispute, which of the skiers is stronger - sprinters or distance skiers. So they came up with a tournament that should determine the most versatile skier. But more importantly, at the beginning of the 2000s, skiing needed a new, more attractive competition format for spectators and sponsors in order to get the attention of biathlon-addicted television. The experiment turned out to be successful. Every year, about 20 thousand fans come to each stage of the Tour, and in 2015 the TV audience of the multi-day event amounted to 70 million people. The sponsors also liked the new product. Audi, Helvetia, Le Gruyere and Polar joined the first Tour de Ski partners Viessmann and Craft Sportswear.
The highest prize money in winter activities sports
Excluding hockey, of course. The commercial success of the Tour de Ski allows the organizers to charge high prize money. They don’t pay too much for a won race - 2700 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 Tour - 20). In addition, the Tour de Ski, like the cyclists on the Tour de France, has a separate sprint classification, the winner of which will become richer by 5,500 euros.
Ski climbing
Business card "Tour de Ski" - final race in Val di Fiemme. Skiers start according to the time shown in previous races, that is, they catch up with the leader - and whoever is first at the finish line wins the Tour. The main attraction of the distance of 9 km is the ascent to Alpe Cermis mountain. The steepness of the slope climbed by skiers reaches up to 29% in some areas. The difference in altitude from start to finish is 400 meters (890-1290 m above sea level), and the athletes' heart rate jumps from 137 beats per minute in the first half of the race to 180-190 beats in the final 500-meter stretch. On the last two kilometers, when the slope reaches 29%, even very strong skiers practically go on foot, there is no strength left to hire. So, it is the ascent to the Alpe Chermis that prevents the great Nortug from fulfilling his dream and becoming the winner of the Tour. He went "from and to" all 9 tournaments, won the most races (13), was on the final podium six times, but cannot become a champion in any way. On the eve of the 2016 Tour, he joked that he would be the favorite if on the last day you had to go down the Alpe Cermis instead of climbing it. Northug believes that the problem is his weight. 83 kg is too much for such a steep mountain. But the Norwegian can't do anything about it. In one of the interviews, Peter pointed 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 biggest possible handicap for himself before the final race. To not be caught up.
Opportunity to beat the Norwegians in cross-country skiing
Norwegian Martin Sundby has won every World Cup distance race this season. In the relay at one of the first stages, the first three places were taken by three teams from Norway. There are 4 Norwegians in the top five of the overall women's World Cup standings. This is a summary of Norwegian hegemony in the 2015/16 season. The main favorites of the current "Tour" at the bookmakers are also from Norway. Therese Johaug and Martin Sundby. However, the multi-day race has become “Norwegian” only in the last two years: two victories for Sundby among men and one each for Johaug and Marit Bjorgen for women. Before that, the men won the Swiss Cologna (three times), the Czech Bauer (twice), the German Angerer and the Russian Legkov; in women, Swedish skier Kalla, Virpi Kuitunen from Finland (twice) and Justina Kowalczyk from Poland (4 wins) became champions.
Live broadcasts of the 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 race, men, 5 km, free style
15.30 - women's 5 km pursuit, free style
16.00 - mass start, women, 10 km, classic style
15.00 – race with separate start, women, 5 km, free style
17.40 - pursuit race, men, 9 km, free style
Text: Igor Osipov
Photo: globallookpress.com
Ustyug coped with the main task
Sergey Ustyugov became on this "Tour de Ski" the king not only on the track, but also in the media. Absolutely not glamorous Russian answers all the questions of journalists sincerely, with humor and does not go into his pocket for a word. So, after his fifth consecutive victory the day before Ustyugov said: "Know: I'm Russian and I run" cleanly. Sundby not to win the skating "cutting", but to save energy for the mass start. Considering that in the end, at the start of the Saturday race, Sundby lost to Ustyugov in the overall standings for more than a minute and a half, it was difficult to suspect the Norwegian of any tactical tricks.
Whatever it was, but the classic mass start seemed even more difficult test for Ustyugov than the upcoming uphill climb to Alpe de Cermis. It was the last chance for the Russian's competitors to try to close the giant gap and make it win back in one race. Played Norwegian team led by Sundby from the very start, predictably, she began to pull the string and try to break the group. Active assistance to the Norwegians was provided by the Swiss, who was third in the overall standings, and the Canadian, an excellent miner.
Ustyugov at first kept a low profile and seemed a little tired. He deliberately ignored the struggle for intermediate finishes, which was absolutely true: there was no point in twitching because of 15 bonus seconds, jeopardizing the final time. It's nice that not only the Norwegians, led by Sundby but also the Russians. and as if on a string followed Ustyugov, periodically leaving on parallel ski tracks. True, given the excellent form of our leader, it is still unknown who helped whom more in the end: Sergey dragged his teammates to fifth and eighth places, respectively, or vice versa.
Near the middle of the race Ustyugov decided to come forward. By this point, it was clear that the Norwegian attempt to create a breakaway had failed. The movements of the Russian were tense, fatigue was evident in them, but with all this, Ustyugov was the fastest in the peloton. Only on the final lap Sundby nevertheless, it was possible to create a gap, but it was clear that at such a distance it was already unrealistic to count on a significant gap. As a result, the Norwegian won his first victory in the current "Tour", ahead of Ustyugov by 2.2 seconds. Sergey pulled out the second place in the final split, also losing to anyone for the first time throughout the race.
And let the historical series of five victories be interrupted, Ustyugov it's a sin to complain about the result. With its main task - not to give Sundby approach before the final race - the Russian managed.
Ustyugov has more than a minute to spare before Sundby
So Sunday Ustyugov starts uphill at Alpe de Cermis with a lead of 1 minute 11 seconds over Sundby. This is more than a significant gap, although theoretically recouped. The mountain is one of the strongest races for a compact hardy Norwegian and an extremely difficult test for a powerful tall Russian. Nevertheless, Ustyugov cannot be called a bad miner.
So, a year ago, having taken the final third place in the Tour, Ustyugov lost to Sundby 19 seconds. fastest time at the stage then the Finn showed - he won against Ustyugov 42 seconds. By the way, Heikinen and this time starts relatively close to the leaders - fourth, two and a half minutes from Ustyugov.
Actually, these figures contain all the answers to the main questions of Sunday. Is it real Sundby win back from Ustyugov more than a minute into the final climb? Theoretically - yes, the Norwegian is able to at least get closer. But in order to miss such a significant gap, Ustyugov must drive significantly below his own capabilities. Whether the Russian had strength after six hardest races, where he never dropped below second place, now, probably, even he himself does not know.
VAL DI FIEMME (Italy). Tour de Ski.Men. 6th stage. Mass start, 15 km (K).
1. Sundby (Norway) - 40.40.0. 2. Ustyugov - backlog 2.2. 3. Heikkinen (Finland) - 2.8. 4. De Fabiani (Italy) - 3.2. 5. LARKOV - 3.3. 6. Dyurheug (Norway) - 3.5 ... 8. IMMORTAL - 3.8 ... 24. SEDOV - 1.07.9. 25. VOKUEV - 1.10.2 ... 28. MELNICHENKO - 1.13.3.
General score. 1. Ustyugov - 2:54.20.2. 2. Sundby - backlog 1:11.9. 3. Cologna (Switzerland) - 2.04.1. 4. Heikkinen - 2:32.9. 5. Manifika (France) - 2.34.6. 6. Harvey (Canada) - 2:42.5. 7. Hellner (Sweden) - 2.54.5. 8. Kruger (Norway) - 3.51.3. 9. Durheug - 4.36.6. 10. De Fabiani (Italy) - 4:36.9.
A smart man will not go uphill - he will run. For Sergei Ustyugov, being the first on the Alpe de Cermis meant not only winning the prestigious Tour de Ski, and not only getting more than 100,000 Swiss francs in prize money, but also proving to everyone that Russians can win without doping. He has proven.
The January Ustyugov surprised and even stunned not only those who follow the cross-country skiing with half an eye. Rivals, experts, domestic specialists were surprised - everyone who was well aware of the capabilities of a talented Siberian, but who did not reveal all his capabilities for a long time. 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 like 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 stages of the Tour de Ski in a row, starting from the first. It doesn't happen, it can't be like that under any circumstances
— different distances, different styles and venues. For 11 years of presence in the sports world of the pearl of the ski season, there were a few all-rounders capable of equally withstanding sprint specialists, distance racers and masters of the "classics".
This is the Tour de Ski - a super marathon of eight (this season - of seven) races, following each other, like in cycling. With multi-day bikes, for all their exclusivity, compare ski tour you can, but the Tour de Ski is no easier. It requires a combination of a variety of qualities and skills, horse endurance, and the ability to recover in the shortest possible time. Nothing can make up for a failure at one distance, you won’t be able to sit out, just going through the Tour from start to finish is already evidence of belonging to the elite.
Ustyugov potentially belonged to the elite not for the first year, but for quite a long time remained in the shadow of both the strong Russian sprint cohort and the powerful distance athletes 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 precisely as a sprinter. IN Olympic Sochi Ustyugov was the shadow favorite of the sprint, and only an offensive fall in the finals deprived him of an Olympic award. And last season, he was already considered one of the most promising all-rounders, which was proved by the “bronze” at the Tour de Ski.
Today, the prelaunch scenario has been sharply corrected by the consequences of the second part of the Richard McLaren Commission report.
Just 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 winner of the Tour de Ski 2013 Alexander Legkov, as well as Maxim Vylegzhanin and Evgeny Belov. In addition to Ustyugov, there was no one to compete with the favorites, and even before the start he announced that he would try to win.
The piquancy of the situation was added by the fact that Sergey Ustyugov joined the group of the German specialist Markus Kramer only this autumn. Kramer unofficially supervised the preparation of Alexander Legkov for several years, with light hand which the German has now officially started working with the Russian team. But even a magician could not provide for two or three months not just a breakthrough, but downright rebirth of even a talented racer. Apparently, Ustyugov's hour has come 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 victory sprint in the Swiss Val Mustair. In the same place, Ustyugov won the 10-kilometer mass start with the classics, and there he grabbed it with a stranglehold two-time winner"Tour de Ski" Martin Jonsgrud Sundby, who happily avoided a lengthy suspension for an anti-doping rule violation. In the German Oberstdorf, in the next two races, the fate of the current stage race was essentially decided, and it was Sundby who twice tried to remove Ustyugov from the leadership position.
Even Markus Kramer was sure 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 race, the Russian until the last felt the breath of his main rival behind his back, but in the end he “brought” him more than half a minute. And already in the Italian Tolbakh, Sergei Ustyugov completely made the whole sports world, winning individual race 10 km freestyle, and with the fifth victory in a row, setting a Tour de Ski record that will not be broken soon. The advantage over the second prize-winner, the Frenchman Maurice Monifica, was only 0.4 seconds. Lucky is the one who is lucky, and Ustyugov was the one who drove and led this, perhaps the most difficult race for him. However, there are no easy stages on the Tour de Ski.
Ustyugov gave only one stage, the penultimate one - in the Italian Val di Fiemme. But what does "give" mean? He finished second behind Martin Sundby, losing nothing to him and falling down exhausted after finishing. Two Russians, Andrei Larkov and Alexander Bessmertnykh, helped the leader to leave the advantage critical for the pursuers, who did not allow either Martin Sundby or the three-time Tour de Ski winner Dario Cologne to scatter.
Both Sundby and Kolonia are "mountain kings" if that title applies to skiing. Although it is quite suitable for the three-kilometer climb to Alp de Cermis, and the red-bearded Norwegian could probably win back 72 seconds from the former Ustyugov. But this time, if Sundby had any hopes, it was only before the start of a decisive rise: the leader, albeit on autopilot, still left for an absolute victory. Later, Ustyugov will say that his condition at that moment was such that words cannot convey. Sundby did not even play ten seconds.
It was, if not great, then very big win. It is even difficult to compare with anything. It will undoubtedly raise questions and even doubts, which the future winner also spoke about during the race: “Everyone thinks that if you are Russian and skate well, it means that you were “pumped up” with something. This is wrong!".
The head of the International Ski Federation, Gianfranco Kasper, said that his organization has no claims against Sergei Ustyugov. And thanks for that. There must be at least some islands of calm in the middle of all this doping and anti-doping turbidity ...
As for whether Ustyugov rushed too early, and the World Cup in Lahti is still far away, he rushed when he needed to. And let's not predict anything for the future. Not that moment.
"Tour de Ski" - 2018 ended with the victories of the Swiss Dario Cologni and Norwegians Heidi Weng. The best of the Russians became Alexander Bolshunov And Anastasia Sedova. And where is the one who won a brilliant victory in the last multi-day race? His name remained in the starting protocol, but the best skier in Russia did not go to the start.
No strength. How Ustyugov scored bonuses and lost the Tour de Ski
Huge speed from the start, won intermediate cut-offs and a lag of 43 seconds - this is how Ustyugov had a classic mass start.
The back of Ustyugov. Time to worry?
Several falls in the mass start on the track in Oberstdorf, icy from endless rain, did not go unnoticed for Ustyugov. Even before the classic mass start in Val di Fiemme, he complained of back pain, and during the race he slightly aggravated the situation. Risking health when the Olympics are ahead (the IOC will most likely invite Ustyugov) would be wrong.
Ustyugov withdrew from the Tour de Ski
Nobody took the risk. Head coach of the Russian national team Markus Kramer after consultation with the President of the FLGR Elena Vyalba and, of course, Ustyugov himself decided not to put Sergei on the last race. It happened just three hours before the start of the hellish ascent to the Alpe de Cermis.
Should we worry about our main hope in cross-country skiing? Probably not. If everything was completely serious, Ustyugov would certainly have finished the fight at the Tour de Ski even after that very “falling” race in Germany. The fact that Sergey avoided the hardest climb is even good under the circumstances. With no chance of first place, it didn't make any sense.
Finish Bolshunov. Almost like in Athens
Fans with experience probably remember the finish of the Russian walker Denis Nizhegorodov at a distance of 50 km at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He crossed the finish line in an unconscious state, hardly distinguishing the road. Nizhegorodov then won a silver medal.
Alexander Bolshunov finished the Tour de Ski in the same condition. A kilometer before the finish line, he stayed in a group of four skiers who were fighting for second place. And then it just "covered". Bolshunov literally walked the last 100 meters of the race, and barely crossed the red line in the snow. And fell completely helpless.
Yuri Borodavko, Bolshunov's coach, before the start of the Tour de Ski, he said that his ward was ready to fight for a prize in overall standings. Alexander will surely achieve this in the next stage races. In the meantime, he can simply be applauded for finishing his first Tour sixth.
Like everyone else who finished. We stopped in the top ten of our Alexey Chervotkin And Andrey Larkov, A Denis Spitsov showed the second move after Maurice Manifika, if we take pure time. Well done guys. There is great hope for all of you at the Olympics. finished seventh overall. Before the final race of the Tour de Ski, she said that a place in the top ten would be an excellent result. And seventh place is great. Sedova is purposefully preparing for the Olympics. She will catch her chances in the skating "cutting" and in the classic marathon.
11th place overall Natalia Nepryaeva, another young skier who is having the best season of her career.
