The 32-year old athlete won the race on the 3 x 5 km course clearly in a time of 36:45.7min, 16,9 seconds ahead of ski veteran and home favourite Andrus Veerpalu (EST). Jaak Mae, the team mate of Veerpalu, made the Estonian success on their home course complete and finished third with a gap of 41,6 seconds to Bauer.

Bauer was the entire race in the clear lead and dominant on the challenging course in Otepää. Andrus Veerpalu was after 5 km third but then he increased his speed towards the end. Also Mae started slower and was able to jump on the podium due to a strong finish on the last kilometers.

For Bauer, it was the second victory beside the Tour de Ski in this season while World Champion Veerpalu and Jaak Mae made their first podium this year.

Petter Northug (NOR) , who was not at the start in today's race, is still in the lead of the overall World Cup with 1060 points, while Lukas Bauer as second has now 763 points. On third place is still Marcus Hellner from Sweden. Also in the distance World Cup the top three are the same persons in the same order.

Lukas Bauer (CZE)
My race today was very successful and I made hattrick here, it was my third victory in one row and I'm very, very happy. I love this track and also Otepää. I was here as well in summer, it's a perfect place and I have to say thank you also to organizers. For sure tomorrow sprint is nothing for me. My program will be now to make a hard preparation until the Olympics and my first start on the Olympics will be 15 kilometers skate and as I said on the podium to Jaak and Andrus that it could be great to make same result at Olympics but after Torino and Liberec I must be on the top;-) Today Estonian guys were very strong as every year here, but today I was a little bit stronger.

Andrus Veerpalu (EST)
The service team did a very good job and I had good ski's which made going uphill and downhill easy. I also feel that my shape is improving and today was a great race. On the last lap I gave everything I had to beat Lukas, but today he was unbeatable as he has been on last competitions.

Jaak Mae (EST)
Today it was my best result in this season and after quite a long time at all. My last World Cup race was in Rogla 4 weeks ago so it was a little bit boring for me and I was afraid before today's race, it's about -15 degrees so there could be some problems. But this track is for us well-known and I think it gave both of us also some extra seconds. Tomorrow I will compete in the sprint, I qualified at Estonian Championships. But it's not the first sprint for me tomorrow, I've already done one before. For next two weeks I will stay at home, after that I will do one long distance race (Marcialonga) and then I will go to Davos for 2 weeks to high altitude and on the 18th February we are travelling to Vancouver.

Justyna Kowalczyk won on her favourite course

Tour de Ski WinnerJustyna Kowalczyk from Poland claimed victory in today's 10 km Individual start competition in classical technique in the Estonian wintersport town Otepää.

The athlete of the year in Poland finished on the demanding 2 x 5 km course in 26:52.7min, just 4,2 ahead of the Norwegian Marit Bjoergen. Aino Kaisa Saarinen (FIN) took the third place, already 29,9 seconds behind the winner. It was a great battle for the third place between Saarinen and Charlotte Kalla which was decided only on the last two kilometers for the Finnish top athlete.

For the 26-year-old Kowalczyk, who was leading the entire race, it was the 4th World Cup victory in this season including the Tour de Ski win. Marit Bjoergen (NOR) startet compare to Kowalczyk a bit slower but then increased the speed to the end.

With the today's victory, Kowalczyk increased her lead in the overall World Cup ranking to 122 points ahead to Petra Majdic (SLO), who finished today on the 5th place. On third place is currently Aino Kaisa Saarinen.

Justyna Kowalczyk (POL)
I feel good today but I am also really tired. I had a cold after Tour de Ski and here I was thinking maybe I win, but it is not possible. But this is my special place, this is Otepää. This track is the hardest track in the world, people are nice, every time it is nice here, I was training here in summer times. Tomorrow I will compete in sprint, but I don't know what can happen. Next week I will compete in Rybinsk, then we have training camp in Canmore and make the World Cup there before leaving to Whistler.

Marit Bjoergen (NOR)
It was a good race for me. I have not been competing since Rogla. It was a good start again so the feeling is good and I think the shape is very good. I did a lot of training during and after Christmas and this is a good start back into the competitions. I will compete tomorrow and next week we have national championships, so I am not going to Rybinsk and then already to the Olympic Games.I like Otepää, here are a lot of people around the track.

Aino Kaisa Saarinen (FIN)
I had quite fast start and after 4 to 7 kilometers I had some bad moments, I did not have any power, but the last kilometers I went very fast and was fighting for podium. I got still a lot of positive energy, I worked hard and my dream came true. This week I had flu, but fortunately it did not get worse and I could start. In sprint I want to be also on podium. Next week we have Finnish championships, I will ski the sprint there. Then I am going to pre-olympic camp for two weeks in Toblach before I move to Whistler.

FIScosscountry.com
Saturday 16 January 2010

Lifetime best for Kalla in Classic Race, good comeback for Södergren

Charlotte Kalla finished 4th in the 10 km C race in Otepää and achieved her lifetime best in the classic race.
Cross-Country skiing star from Tärendö came back to the FIS World Cup Cross-Country after a break as she did not take part in Tour de Ski. Training at home in Norrbotten, in the Swiss Alps (Pontresina) and in Östersund has done the trick.
During the race she impressed with much improved technique. Her skiing surprised many. Energetic, fast, aggressive. Very impressive.
Charlotte started 30 seconds after Anna Haag. The Swedes were pushing hard and climbed up in the ranking.
Charlotte was third with just a few kilometers left, behind dominating Kowalczyk and Norwegian Marit Bjørgen who returned to World Cup in Otepää as well.
Fight for third place was won, however, by strongly sprinting Finnish Aino-Kaisa Saarinen, who was three seconds faster than Charlotte Kalla. But fourth place felt almost like a victory for Kalla.
Kowalczyk's victory margin to Bjørgen stopped at four seconds.
Kalla, 33 seconds behind the Polish locomotive, that was the answer Charlotte wanted. The body is in top shape and she is completely under control towards the Olympic preparations.

Ingesson can be happy
Team captain Magnus Ingesson could also be proud about Anna Haag. Orsa-girl has established herself among seven or eight best in the world. Third place in Rogla and Beitostølen is evidence of the capability of Anna. Today's seventh place underlines how skilled skier she is.
Magdalena Pajala from Pitea continues to take the cross-country skiing world by storm. Magda started early. Position 17 is very good and Pajala might have bright future in the Swedish cross-country skiing.
Anna Olsson's comeback ended with a 21st place, a solid return in the World Cup series. Lina Andersson finished 37th.

Södergren ranked 12th
Anders Södergren finished 12th . Not a bad result at all taking into account ha was several weeks out of World Cup and had to fight a virus for six weeks. 43 days before the Olympics is Södergren on a good track.
Martin Johansson was a big surprise as he finished 14th just two seconds behind Södergren.

Contributed by: Swedish Ski Association
FIScosscountry.com
Saturday 16 January 2010

Moan celebratres his 15th World Cup victory

With an outstanding cross country performance Norwegian Magnus Moan won the first of two competition in Chaux-Neuve (FRA). The 26-year-old won ahead of local hero Jason Lamy Chappuis (+4.2) and American Todd Lodwick (+7.1).

If the spectators could have decided the winner, it might have been a French named Jason Lamy Chappuis. When the nordic combined athletes started their competition the little village Chaux-Neuve near the Swiss border was bursting at the seams, blue-white-red flag defined the scene. Lamy Chappuis himself was overwhelmed by the atmosphere: "I feel a lot of pressure this weekend, the spectators and the media expect much more of me than at a normal World Cup." About 3000 fans came to cheer for the local hero leading in the overall World Cup.

At the end of the day he was beaten by only one. Winner Magnus Moan was only 29th after a jump of 89.5 m and started the 10 km race with a handicap of 1:03 minutes. In his usually strong shape the Norwegian passed by those who started ahead of him and at km six he was only five seconds behind the leading group. The six leaders was so far dominated by the Americans Johnny Spillane, Bill Demong and Todd Lodwick. In the fourth of five laps Moan could close the gap to the group ("Last year I compensated 1:56 minutes in the race, but still you cannot compare these two victories").

Only a few seconds were behind these seven athletes, the winner would be determined in an exhausting finish. Who will be able to break away from the group? Only three seconds were separating the three constantly strong Americans and Moan, Japanese Kobayashi, the strong Czech Pavel Churavy and Jason Lamy Chappuis, in front of his home crowd, in the last lap. Then, close after the mark at km 8.8, Moan started his attack. He broke away of the group, the competition could not keep up with his speed and the Norwegian secured the lead until the finish line.

"In the last lap I saved my strength for the final sprint. I could finish first and that feels great. My jumps are getting better and better, one small step after the other", he told later. Lamy Chappuis was happy about his second place at home: "My advantage was, of course, that this is my home hill and my jumping is ideal at the moment. My problem is that there are always strong cross country skiers behind me - today they were really close and I need they would move up. So my strategy was not to lose to much strength and be fit for the final sprint." Todd Lodwick was especially happy about the strong performance of the American team: "The plan was to be on the places 1 - 3 with the team - unfortunately we couldn't do that, but it's a good sign if one of us is always on the podium. It's a long season but we, as a team, are on schedule for the Olympic Games."

At the jumping earlier today Jason Lamy Chappuis used his home field advantage and won with a jump of 94.5 m (127.7 points), followed by Japanese Daito Takahashi (90 m, 124.3 points, +0:14). Takahashi won the provisional competition round yesterday with the new hill record of 98 m. Third was young German Johannes Rydzek (94 m, 123.3 points, +0:18). After the race Takahashi was only 30th (+1:50.0), Rydzek finished the race on a good ninth place (+45.2).

The 18-year-old German should now have his ticket for the Olympic Games, at least partly - like his teammates Tino Edelmann, Eric Frenzel and Bjoern Kircheisen, who did not compete in Chaux-Neuve. Jumping coach Andreas Bauer was diplomatic after the competition: "Johannes has the best chances to be nominated for the Games. He showed that he can jump well and run courageous races. But I don't want to anticipate the people who decide about our fourth athlete." Rydzek is very relaxed when it comes to the decision about Vancouver: "The ninth place is my best result this season. I tried to keep up with the strong cross country skiers, but that was a little to hard. I then had to reduce the speed, but still I'm satisfied with my performance. It would be nice if I could go to the Olympics." But what shall go wrong...?

For the winner Magnus Moan this was already the second victory in Chaux-Neuve after he won here in January 2009 and the 15th World Cup victory of his career. He will like to come back to the little French village also in the future: "It's great to run in front of so many people and it's great that Chaux-Neuve will be in the World Cup calender for the next ten years." Also Todd Lodwick is enthusiastic about this atmosphere: "The spectators were so loud we could not even understand our coaches on the course."

FISnordiccombined.com
Saturday 16 January 2010