Johaug and Bolshunov reign at Nove Mesto 10km/15km F
Jan 18, 2020·Cross-Country
Therese Johaug remains unstoppable. Slight snow fall during the 10km in Free technique did not slow the current Overall World Cup leader from Norway down. She ensures a top position for tomorrows pursuit.
Therese Johaug does what she does best, head down and focus on the upcoming track. The distance expert who currently owns the FIS Cross-Country World Cup distance competitions performed once more a powerful race and left all competition behind.
Ready for the chase however is a large field of world class distance athletes. Up front is todays second ranked Natalia Nepryaeva the current top allrounder amongst the female athletes in the Russian team. Nepryaeva finished todays race +32.7 seconds behind Johaug, followed by Heidi Weng who ends on third +40.3 seconds behind the leader.
So the tracks are set for tomorrows 10 km pursuit and it is promising to be a gripping one. Therese Johaug takes the lead and has to get ready to be chased by the fantastic line up of todays top skiers. Sunday's 10km C pursuit is set to start at 11:10h.
The courses of Nove Mesto gave not much chance to recover during the race. Conditions that suit the current Overall World Cup leader Alexander Bolshunov from Russia perfectly during todays 15km F.
Despite tough conditions with fresh snow the courses of Nove Mesto were the platform for many athletes to race for their season's best results. When Jean Marc Gaillard (FRA) crossed the finish line, he led 28 seconds before Hugo Lapalus (FRA) and Ireneu Altimiras (AND) who had structured their race well and had set the pace for the first patch of the competitors. The bar was set on another level when Alexander Bolshunov crossed the finish line +55 seconds before his successors. Only athlete at this stage to reach the level of Bolshunov was the Finn, Iivo Niskanen (+24 seconds behind). His eyes on the podium kept also Norwegian Sjur Roethe who could follow Bolshunov in his second last lap before the Russian headed for the finish. Roethe managed to keep the speed for his final lap and ends his race in third position, +40 seconds behind Bolshunov.
The positions are set for tomorrows pursuit race which is set to start at 13:00h.
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