Race Liveblogging: Falun Relays

(Blogged, as the pursuits were, "live" from WCSN.com's webcast.)

women's 4x5km relay
start Thirteen women's teams are on the line for today's relay, the third of the season. Finland and Norway I are the favorites, though hometown Sweden I should be in contention, and the Russian and German teams will not fail to stay in contact. With only two women racing in Europe right now, the United States is not fielding a team, while Canada is. At the gun, Virpi Kuitunen of Finland takes off like a woman possessed, establishing a substantial lead after 60 seconds of racing. She then pulls back a little, allowing Norway I (in the form of young Ingrid Aunet Tyldum) and Germany (Stephanie Boehler) to catch up. The rest of the field is close behind, but there are huge differences in technique between the leading trio and everyone else. 

1.6km
 Hitting this time check at the top of an early climb, Canada - with Sara Renner on this scramble leg - and Switzerland have bridged up to the Kuitunen group. The front quintet has 12s on the rest of the field. On the descent, Kuitunen edges ahead of Tyldu, and they get away from everyone else. Renner is pushing to get back in touch, but the leaders' skis look especially fast today. They zoom through the curves at the foot of the classic laps' biggest hill, and there Tyldum surges to come even with Kuitunen. They make the ascent side by side, striding the entire hill. Renner and Swiss Seraina Mischol are neck and neck, some seconds behind, and then Steffi Boehler is struggling along in fifth.

5.0 km The same positions hold as everyone comes toward the stadium and the first exchange. Kuitunen words hard to get out front, but it looks like Norway has better downhill skis, so Kuitunen rides the draft until the enter the exchange-zone straightaway and then doublepoles alongside. Just 0.1s apart, Kuitunen tags Aino-Kaisa Saarinen and Tyldum tags yesterday's pursuit winner, Astrid Jacobsen. Switzerland is in third, Canada in fourth, about 14s down. Saarinen and Jacobsen move steadily but quickly away from their pursuers. Just over a quarter of the way into the race, the top two podium spots might already be decided. Nobody, except possibly Germany, has an anchor leg racer who can close down a gap of 20s.

1.6km Saarinen and Jacobsen stride through this check side by side, nearly 30s up on Switzerland and Canada, whose Olympic sprint champion Chandra Crawford is getting some high-quality classic-technique work on this leg. Germany is 45s out. The front pair are visibly better than everyone else: their doublepoling and striding exude power and pace where others look to be just pushing along. Approaching the big climb, they jockey for position but end up ascending together.

5.0 km At the summit, Jacobsen does a little stutter-step that looks for all the world like Frode Estil's famous hill-climb technique and that gives her a crucial little gap as they descend toward the second exchange. Saarinen comes back to terms on the long flats toward the exchange, and they're together as they tag their third-leg racers. Behind, a group of four has formed: Germany has climbed back into contention along with Canada, Switzerland, and Norway II. Canadian Crawford looked slippy out there, but she rallied to hand a nominal fifth position to Madeleine Williams.

2.5km At the head of the race, Norway I's Kristen Stoermer Steira leads out Riita-Liisa Roponen for Finland. Each wants the lead, but then a huge mistake! Roponen misses a turn and skates off the course - or rather, onto the path back to the stadium rather than the route to the foot of the big climb. Somehow, she figures out where and how to get back on course, and does. Will she be disqualified, though? No matter- she's suddenly right back on Steira's tails. Behind, the chasing group is being strewn over the climb. Charlotte Kalla for Sweden I is gunning it, seeking redemption for her poor race in yesterday's pursuit. She has dropped Germany, Switzerland, and Canada to take a firm grip on third, which thrills the Swedish crowd. But putting Kalla on the third leg might have been a mistake, since Sweden I's anchor isn't as fast a skater as the anchors for Finland and Norway I.

Steira and Roponen go through the stadium well ahead of Kalla, and disappear into the woods before Kalla can catch a glimpse. Steira appears to be in charge, easily pushing the pace. But Roponen is moving smoothly, too, and surges past Steira as they approach the big climb. On the slope, Roponen does attack, opening up a 2s gap that lasts most of the way down to the stadium. 

5.0 km As they start the run over the flats to the last exchange, though, Steira catches up and it's once again a two-abreast tag - Roponen to Riikka Sarasoja, a young sprinter, and Steira to the deadly-experienced Marit Bjoergen. This is not a favorable matchup for Suomi. 49s back, Kalla - turning in the fastest third leg - tags to Maria Rydqvist. Germany - Claudia Nystad to Evi Sachenbacher Stehle - tags in fourth, another 20s behind. As at the front, this exchange is unfavorable, with the German being far superior to the Swede. But 20s is a lot for even Sachenbacher Stehle to make up. 

2.5 km Going up the climb for the penultimate time, Bjoergen hasn't yet shaken Sarasoja, though the Finn looks less steady than the Norwegian. Rydqvist looks to be faltering a bit on the climb, and Sachenbacher Stehle is already close enough to see her just ahead. Norway I and Finland come through the stadium together; this race will probably be decided on the last climb where, surely, Bjoergen expects to use her jump-step climbing technique to break Sarasoja. Sachenbacher Stehle has cut her deficit to Rydqvist exactly in half already; she should catch and pass the Swede in the next 1000 meters. The race changes much sooner than all that! Bjoergen effortlessly drops Sarasoja even before they are out of the stadium, and is powering away up the easy climb. And Sachenbacher Stehle has already caught Rydqvist. Will she sit on and rest, or pass and drop the Swede, perhaps in hopes of making a play for second place? The former, it appears: she simply rides in Rydqvist's draft as they work their way up the hill.

With a big gap now established, Bjoergen is simply maintaining her advantage over Sarasoja, who looks to be trashed. At the foot of the big climb, Sachenbacher Stehle explodes past Rydqvist, instantly opening a 50-meter gap despite the Swedish crowd's exhortations.

5.0 km Bjoergen is just cruising into the stadium now. Relaxed, she gives a small wave to the crowd as she zips up to the line. Sarasoja comes across in second, 30.9s down, and then Sachenbacher Stehle sprints in, assuring her team's third place. Maria Rydqvist totters over in fourth and immediately sits down. All in all, this result shows that Norway still has the best team of racers on the World Cup circuit, even if four or five countries can advance the winner on any given day.

Postscript: Race officials reviewed the tape of Roponen's wrong turn and decided not to disqualify her, as the course was poorly marked at that point and as she did not obtain any advantage from her wrong turn. Rather, on realizing the error, Roponen pulled up, let Steira through, and then followed a few meters behind - exactly where they had been before the wrong turn.

men's 4x10km relay
start Sixteen teams are due to start today. As host, Sweden is over-represented with four teams. Norway is fielding two teams, either of which could win. The teams for Russia, Germany, the Czech Republic, Finland, and France should all vie for the podium as well, each being studded with good racers. Both Canada and the U.S. have put together squads as well, each of which should put up a fight in the early stages of the race since Devon Kershaw and Kris Freeman are taking the first legs. I'd put my money on Sweden I for the win, largely on the basis of the home-snow advantage.

1.6km Off the line, high-tempo doublepoling quickly stretches the fifteen scramble-leg racers (one team didn't start the race) into a long double file, with Jens Arne Svartedal of Norway I (the current leader of the World Cup sprint rankings) in front. The steady upward tilt to the course is pushing a few skiers off the back, but at the first time check all the main teams are covered by 5s. Soon after this check, American Kris Freeman jumps into the lead and visibly ups the tempo with an easy but effective doublepole. It's surely a meaningless move with respect to the final result, but Freeman's obviously showing the best racers in the world that he can control their pace.

5.0km The field condenses on the downhill, as it will all day. Canadian Devon Kershaw takes the lead up the big climb. Everyone survives the uphill, and the whole field is within 3s as it reenters the stadium, although there's a lot of jerking and stumbling as racers clip each others' skis and poles. Exiting the stadium, Svartedal is in the lead again, and now looks to be trying to break up the too-large pack. He almost immediately creates a gap, and only Martin Jaks (CZE) can go with him, trailed by Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway II and Kershaw.

6.6km Svartedal, Jaks, Sundby have a couple seconds on Kershaw and more on everyone else. There's a long way to go, but already it's clear that Norway I wants to win this race. Jaks is hanging tough, trying to put the Czech no. 2, Lukas Bauer, a.k.a. the best cross-country ski racer in the world right now, in a good position. On the descent, the lead trio becomes a septet, as Canada, Germany, and Sweden II latch on. France and the U.S. are trying to bridge up, but on the big climb Svartedal explodes, zooming away from his companions. Again, Jaks stays with him - what a display by the rising young racer! - as does Sundby. The greatest thing about the relays are these early moves: Svartedal knows he can just bury himself now, burning off the hangers-on and clarifying the rest of the race.

10km Norway I looks to have great skis: Svartedal edges ahead of Jaks on the descent to the stadium. He hands off to Odd-Bjoern Hjelmeset in first, Jaks to Bauer in second, Sundby to unknown Chris Jespersen in third. Immediately, though, the field tightens markedly, with the fresh-legged racers for Sweden II, Canada, and Germany joining the lead group. Showing off his greyhound-with-skis technique, Hjelmeset leads from Bauer. After his stint up front, Kris Freeman slid down through the field to hand off to Andy Newell in ninth, where the U.S. will ski alongside Finland, a few seconds down to France and Russia but in contact.

1.6km The front six are pulling away, holding an 18s lead over place seven. Though Hjelmeset goes through this check in first, Lukas Bauer soon takes over to push the pace a bit more. Down the course, Newell has bridged up to France and Russia, forming a four-team group with Finland. This group could have the horsepower to cut the gap down a bit. Heading up the big hill, Jespersen takes the lead and goes off the front with Germany - a surprising move that's covered on the descent.

5.0km The front six are still together as they pass through the stadium, though Sweden II and Canada look to be laboring where the other four are going smoothly and easily. The next group is about 25s down and sliding backwards.

6.6km As the trail tilts upwards again, Bauer and Hjelmeset make a big push, blowing up the lead group and quickly establishing a huge gap. With Bauer in front, they put ten seconds into Germany and Norway II and even more into Sweden II and Canada. Down in the stadium, the third-leg skiers for Czech Republic and Norway I should be gearing up for a knock-down race. But Bauer continues to push, and drops Hjelmeset like a ton of bricks. Riding his skis toward the big climb, Bauer is far enough ahead that Hjelmeset - now joined by Germany and Norway II - can't see him. At the foot of the biggest climb, Bauer is hammering, jumping up off his skis with every doublepole. He's halfway up the climb before the next four start it! Can the Czech skaters - Jiri Magal and then Martin Koukal - maintain this pace?

10km Heading down to the stadium, Bauer continues to put everything into his doublepoling, appearing for all the world like he's in a sprint for a world championship. He gives Magal a huge 19.7s advantage; the next four teams are covered by just two seconds. Magal has a huge job in front of him: he can't relent at all, lest he give back any time at all, but he also has to ski a time trial, unaccompanied by anyone else. This Czech team did win the last relay, at Davos, Switzerland, in December, so there's some precedent for a big result.

2.2km Coming up to the Mordarbacken climb (which the classic-technique racers only climbed to the halfway point), Magal still holds a big advantage, though now the chasing four can see him. Will Magal sit up and let them catch on, then hope to stay in that group for the rest of the leg? Behind, Simen Oestensen for Norway I is doing all the work and looking fresh. At the time check atop the hill, Magal's lead has been cut by 10s. He won't survive this leg. Magal's skis look especially fast on the way down to the stadium, though.

3.3km As he comes through the stadium, Magal glances back - not a good sign. He has only 5.4s at the entry to the stadium, and by the time he exits, the pursuers have caught him. Everyone stands and slows to sort out the assignments; Magal understandably doesn't want to work as the rabbit any longer. Rene Sommerfeldt goes to the front, setting a steady pace but not yet trying to drop anyone. Oestensen, who led the hunt for Magal, settles in at the back of the pack, trying to rest up. The rest of the field is nowhere close, more than 30s behind the leaders.

5.5km Approaching Mordarbacken for the second time, Sommerfeldt increases the tempo a bit, testing the pack. Oestensen looks to be flagging, but Magal has moved back up to second, which suggests that he intentionally let the pack catch him. Led by Sommerfeldt over the steepest part of the climb, the front five are covered by 3s. France, Italy, and Finland are well back. On the descent, Oestensen starts to slip back a few meters, but drafts back on. As the leaders round the corner through the stadium, Sommerfeldt looks around, trying to get someone else to come forward. No one does, so he hunches down and revs up his powerful V2 stroke, intent breaking up the group before they reach the climbs again. Norway II falls off right away, and then Magal pulls through to take over the lead.

8.8km The lead immediately changes back to Sommerfeldt, who puts 3s into the other four by the time they reach the foot of Mordarbacken. The German is leaning heavily into his V1 and switching from arm to arm, summoning everything he can, but the Norway I and II and Czech teams all get back to him by the midpoint of the hill. Sweden II is done and drifting backwards. At the top of the climb, Magal comes alongside Sommerfeldt and then follows him closely through the long, curvy descent to the stadium. The two Norwegians fall back a bit, just out of the draft, then work hard to come up again and create a big chaotic rush into the last exchange.

10km Germany tags first, a scant 1.5s ahead of Norway II in fourth. But now the tactical game starts in earnest. Rather than putting their fresh legs to work, the anchor-leg racers do the opposite: Germany's Tobias Angerer sits up to force Martin Koukal into the lead; the two Norwegian teams - Petter Northug for Norway II, Tord Asle Gjerdalen for Norway I - hover at the back of the the lead group. The two red suits are quite a pair with Northug in his  slightly creepy oversized goggles and Gjerdalen in regular aviator sunglasses. Regardless of choice in optics, we should see some cutthroat tactics soon, since the leading group contains one too many teams than could fit on the podium. (Everyone else is out of it, 30 or more seconds down.)

2.2km The leaders are moving at a leisurely pace on the way up Mordarbacken. There is no zip in their steady V1 strokes over the top of the climb, separated by just 4.1s.

3.3km As we've seen over and over today, the lead group strings out on the descent, then gathers again on the approach to the stadium. Northug for Norway II is hanging at the back of the group, doing no work; in front, Angerer and Koukal are trading the lead back and forth. There's still no real pace up front. Clearly, the leaders are more interested in psychology than physiology right now - engaging in gamesmanship while also saving energy for the last two ascents of Mordarbacken. Angerer is doing most of the work so far, and neither of the Norwegians has done any in thousands of meters.

5.5km Starting up Mordarbacken for the penultimate time, the leading quartet is again puttering along - slow enough that Koukal and Gjerdalen can skip a few pole strokes to throw off their hats. Over the steepest pitch at the top of the hill, the leaders are practically walking. Behind, the chasers are getting no closer, though.

6.6km Having been skiing at the back of the lead group for the entire leg, Petter Northug is either at the very limit of his capacity or, more likely, cannily saving himself for a burst at the finish. As they pass through the stadium, the leaders finally increase the pace - though not too much: Koukal has time to hand off his sunglasses before pulling over to let everyone else go through. Angerer reluctatantly takes the lead, but goes even more slowly! Behind them, a member of one team's support staff, ferrying skis and poles from one coaching station to another, keeps up effortlessly! All four of these racers are good finishers, though Angerer and especially Northug (if he can stay upright) have fearsome kicks.

8.8km Now the battle is starting. On the approach to Mordarbacken, the two Norwegians move to the front. Two abreast up the hill, they eye each other and then Angerer as he swings wide, where Northug blocks him. All are going slowly, picking thier way up the hill. Then Angerer makes a small move to get past Northug and into the nominal lead. Does he want to attack on the steep point? Koukal slots in behind, and suddenly Gjerdalen is at the back, looking a bit spent. The four hit the steepest pitch together, Angerer floating along easily in front. Gjerdalen looks like he's blown, at the back. He has to recover on the downhill if he wants a shot at participating in the finish sprint!

finish And he does in a bit way: on the flats outside the stadium, Gjerdalen freeskates all the way past everyone, a huge slingshot move! Then Northug responds, doing his crazy hop-skate to surge back to the front and pull away from the other three as they enter the finishing straightaway. It's Northug over the line first, followed by Gjerdalen and then Koukal, with Angerer, exhausted from doing two-thirds of the work, a distant fourth. That last kilometer was quite a display of power by the Norwegians generally and Northug particularly - and the Norwegians borrowed a page from the Italian teams in studiously avoiding any real work on that last leg. Such was the upside-down nature of this race that the first four teams all had faster classical legs than freestyle legs: between the intentionally slow pace on the anchor leg and the ascent of the entire Mordarbacken, Northug went 4:30 slower than Martin Johnsrud Sundby on the scramble leg.

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