Canmore Men's Pursuit - "Liveblogging"

start 58 men toe the start line this morning in this double pursuit, which requires racers to do the first half of the race in the classical technique, change skis and poles, and then do the second half in the freestyle or skating technique. Men's pursuits nowadays almost always some down to a sprint finish, and today's is unlikely to be any different, though the massive climbs on today's course could break up the pack enough to let someone escape on a breakaway. Germany's Axel Teichmann stands in start position one with teammate Rene Sommerfeldt next to him and Tor Arne Hetland (Norway) on the other side. The front ranks are stuffed with racers who could win this event; practically everyone in the first 20 positions has the freestyle-technique chops to pull off a win. American hope Kris Freeman is at position 30, deep in the field but not so deep that he can't make something happen.
2.1km At the first time check, just over the crest of the high point of the first loop, Finn Ville Nousiainen and Swiss Curdin Perl have a slight lead, but the first thirty racers are within ten seconds, including Americans Lars Flora and Michael Sinnott. Adrenaline, anyone?
3.75km Coming through the stadium for the first time, the field has compressed thanks to the loooong downhill run. Two Canadians - Devon Kershaw and Dan Roycroft - are in the front dozen, giving the Canadian fans a good show.
5.85km Anders Soedergren of Sweden is first over the big climb on this second lap, holding a surprisingly big 5.2-second lead over Nousiainen - and Kershaw, running third! Could Kershaw have it in him? Behind, the field is stretched out again, with Kris Freeman running in 19th, 12.9 seconds back of Soedergren. Comfortable.
7.5km Through the stadium again, a quarter of the way through this race, Soedergren is at the head of a growing group that also includes Kershaw. Half the field is within 10 seconds of Soedergren, so it's still very tight.
9.6km On the downside of the loop, it's a long, wide group of racers crowded toward the front. We should soon start to see jockeying for positions at the changeover, at the end of the next lap. Alexander Legkov of Russia, an excellent skater, is up front now, perhaps readying himself for that changeover. Kershaw's still running in third, Freeman down at 20.
11.25km Through the stadium for the third time, the field is now much more stretched out: 21 are within 10 seconds of Legkov, but only 6 are within 5 seconds. He's a danger, as are some of the others up front, like Rene Sommerfeldt and Martin Bajcicak (Slovakia), both excellent climbers and skaters.
13.35km Up and over the high point of the course for the last time on classic skis, the field has come together a bit, but gaps are now starting to emerge. Kershaw is gunning hard, and now runs second, down to Valerio Checchi of Italy. Top-notch skaters are massing at the front: Legkov, Sommerfeldt, Pietro Piller Cottrer (Italy), Tobias Angerer (Germany)...
15km At the changeover, Finland's Nousiainen is in first, but 18 racers are right there within 8 seconds of the front. Interestingly, after that the next few racers are scattered in ones and twos over the next minute of race time. The winner of this race is already up front, in the front dozen-and-a-half. Happily, both Kershaw and Freeman are in that group.
16.6km Nearing the high point of the course for this first time on skate skis, Martin Bajcicak narrowly leads Alexander Legkov; they have a two-second gap back to Checchi, more to Piller Cottrer and then Kershaw. 11 racers in 10 seconds, with Freeman in 20th, 20.4 seconds down.
18.25km Nearing the stadium for the first time in the skating half of the race, it's Kershaw in the lead! We've seen a ton of movement up front; the lead is changing all the time. 18 racers are within six seconds of Kershaw as he gives the home-country fans something to see. American Freeman is in 19th, 21.2 off the lead and, worse, out of contact with the lead group. He needs to rally soon to get back up there, then rest, if he hopes to finish high...
20.35km The racers are now ascending the big climb again, and who's up front but Kershaw! The Canadian continues to race well! Leading three Italians, Kershaw is racing way over his head here, and it's fantastic! Everyone else in the top 20 is a known World Cup quantity - except him! Amazing. Can he pull this off? The top 19 are within 9 seconds of his lead, which is pretty tight. Among that group is Ivan Babikov, racing in the Russian kit but a new citizen of Canada. He's only 3.7 seconds behind his new countryman. Freeman has cut down his gap to 15.6 seconds - just at the outer limit of striking distance.
22.5km With two grueling laps to go, the racers pass through the stadium again, facing two more grueling laps. Kris Freeman has taken advantage of the downhill to rejoin the front group, which now numbers 22 racers - a ridiculously large number, all within four seconds of the lead. Insane! Someone is going to have to go hard on the next lap to break up this group before the bell lap and the all-but-certain pack finish.
24.1km Up the hill again, and the field stretches out again. It's a congested race, with almost everyone mentioned so far still vying for the lead, including Devon Kershaw in fifth.
26.25km The last time through the stadium! Kershaw is right there, jockeying with Italians Giorgio di Centa and Pietro Piller Cottrer for the lead! Kris Freeman is 4.4 seconds off the front, but in 22nd - a lot of places to make up if he wants to be in this at the end. That last big climb is going to be absolutely decisive, and we have some skiers up front who are likely to turn on the jets there: di Centa, Sommerfeldt, Soedergren, Angerer, Swiss Toni Livers. Interestingly, none of the top Norwegians are anywhere near the front.
27.85km About to crest the big climb for the last time, the gaps are widening again! Up front are the Italian trio of di Centa, Piller Cottrer, and Checchi, with di Centa leading by nearly two seconds. Behind is a long freight train of other dangerous finishers, but now only 13 racers are inside 10 seconds of the front - a small but crucial narrowing of the field. How many can use the downhill to latch on again and get into the front for the sprint? Freeman is 19.4 seconds down, in 22nd. Unless something spectacular happens, he won't figure in the finish. But Devon Kershaw might - he's in eighth, 6.5 out. Can he break into the lead group now, after being there or thereabouts since midway through the first lap?
finish No! Russian Nikolai Pankratov, who has lurked in the top dozen all day, storms through for the win, 0.4 seconds up on workhorse di Centa! Teichmann and Angerer of Germany go 3-4 in a photo finish. It was a kilometer too far for Kershaw, who winds up in 16th, one spot ahead of his surging countryman George Grey and a few ticks behind Ivan Babikov in 13th. Babikov was the biggest climber of the day, moving up from 43rd at the start to 13th. After yo-yoing off the front group for the second half of the race, Kris Freeman faded to 22nd, 38.2 out of first. The first 18 racers were covered by just 8.9 seconds, so this pursuit shaped up to be as tight as most others. Wow. What a start to the Alberta World Cup.

Forecast: Significant blowing and drifting, with the possibility of heavy accumulation in rural areas.