Five World Cup podiums, two podiums in the first Ski Classics distance and the fastest finish times in the Ski Classics time trial – not a bad weekend for Madshus athletes.
First, Tore Berdahl and Johan Kjoelstad delivered the fastest times in the Ski Classics Pro Team Tempo team time trial in Livigno, Italy, on Saturday. The event is a brand new format in the Ski Classics, and although 15km is hardly a marathon, it allows the pro team racers to show off their colors, collect valuable points toward the overall race series, and set the order for the first marathon event in the 2014-15 Ski Classics, the 35km La Sgambeda Classic on Sunday.
The Madshus marathon racers continued to impress in the Ski Classics on Sunday. Johan Kjoelstad (NOR) and Oeystein Pettersen (NOR) snagged two of the three spots on the podium in the 35km La Sgambeda classic race. Kjoelstad and Pettersen finished within half a second of each other, in second and third place respectively.
After the first Ski Classics weekend, Kjoelstad is now second overall in the Ski Classics Champion competition, while Pettersen is second in the overall Ski Classics Sprint Champion competition and third in the Ski Classics Champion competition.
The next race in the ski classics is Jizerska Padesatka on January 11.
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On the cross-country World Cup in Davos, Didrik Toenseth (NOR) finished second in the 15km classic race on Saturday, just a hop and a skip down the road from the Ski Classics action in Livigno. This is Toenseth’s top World Cup result to date.
“My plan was to ski three even laps. I tried to keep the same pace. I thought that the course here would not fit me because I like steeper uphills,” Toenseth said to the FIS after the race.
The 23-year-old has been on a rally since the season started, and hopes to carry the momentum into the World Championships in Falun later this winter.
Read more about Toenseth’s season opener
With strong performances since the World Cup started in the end of November, Toenseth is now second in the FIS Distance World Cup, and third in the FIS overall World Cup.
On Sunday, Ingvild Flugstad Oestberg (NOR) bagged her very first World Cup victory when she won the sprint in Davos (SUI) after having dominated both the qualifier and every heat through the final.
Read more about Oestberg’s first World Cup victory
With the victory in Davos, Oestberg is now second in the FIS Distance World Cup, and third in the FIS overall World Cup.
The World Cup continues with further races in Davos on Dec 20-21.
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Also, in the IBU Biathlon World Cup Madshus racers secured both first and third place in the men’s relay in Hochfilzen on Saturday. Timofey Lapshin and Maxim Tsvetkov helped Russia to victory, while Emil Hegle Svendsen helped Norway to third place in the 4×7.5km relay.
Finally, Madshus biathlete Anais Bescond (FRA) was third in the women’s pursuit at the World Cup in Hochfilzen on Sunday.
The IBU World Cup now moves to Pokljuka December 18-21.