Team USA and Minneapolis are getting ready for World Cup action

Tickets for the Fastenal Parallel 45 Winter Festival and Coop FIS Cross Country World Cup Sprint Finals on Tuesday, March 17th, are selling quickly, and there are only a few days left to buy them at their current low price of $25. The organizer have already sold out of Grandstand tickets. Early bird ticket pricing ends Monday, January 27th, at 11:59pm (CST).

Festival-goers will be able to fill up on food trucks and enjoy beer gardens all while finding entertainment and inspiration from sponsor activation areas, gear expos, and merchandise booths in the Parallel 45 Village. Musical artists like Brother Ali, Bad Bad Hats, and the Okee Dokee Brothers will also be performing throughout the festival. You can learn more about the Parallel 45 Village and see the full musical line-up here.

In the meantime, the U.S. Cross-Country squad is testing the tracks for the upcoming World Championships site in Oberstdorf, Germany.

By Tom Horrocks, U.S. Ski and Snowboard

The FIS Cross Country World Cup season continues this weekend in Oberstdorf  with 13 U.S. athletes participating in skiathlon Saturday, and a classic sprint Sunday.

Starting for the Davis U.S. Cross Cross Country Ski Team is Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, Rosie Brennan and Caitlin Patterson in both the skiathlon and classic sprint. Sophie Caldwell, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, Simi Hamilton and Noel Keeffe - making his World Cup debut - will also start in Sunday’s classic sprint. Sophie won her first World Cup race, a classic sprint in Oberstdorf in 2016, which was a stage of the Tour de Ski.

In addition to the Davis U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team athletes, a number of U.S. athletes who have qualified for World Cup starts will participate this weekend, including SuperTour leader’s Ian Torchia (distance leader) and Alayna Sonnesyn (women’s overall leader).

“I’m trying to go into this weekend with no expectations,” said Ian, who made his World Cup debut last weekend in Nove Mesto, Czech Republic. “But the goal is always a top 30. But overall I’d like to have better races than I did in Nove Mesto last weekend where I didn’t have the “bop!” My college roommates call it that because when I’m feeling good I “bop” around. I’m feeling good, and I’m excited to race this weekend.”

Ian will be competing in Saturday’s 30k skiathlon, which combines 15k of classic technique, followed by a quick transition to skate skis for the second 15k leg. He’ll be joined by David Norris, who has posted two top-30 World Cup results this season, including a 27th-place result in the 15k freestyle in Nove Mesto last weekend.

Alayna, who scored three podium results at the L.L.Bean U.S. Cross Country Championship earlier this month, will start both the Skiathlon and the classic sprint. Four-time Olympian and three-time World Cup sprint podium finisher Andy Newell will be participating in his first World Cup of the season in Sunday’s classic sprint. Joining him will be 2018 Olympion Tyler Kornfield, who will also be starting his first World Cup of the season Sunday.

U.S. Starters for Oberstdorf, Germany
Skiathlon
Jessie Diggins
Rosie Brennan
Julia Kern
Caitlin Patterson
Alayna Sonnesyn
David Norris
Ian Torchia

Classic sprint
Jessie Diggins
Sophie Caldwell
Sadie Maubet Bjornsen
Rosie Brennan
Julia Kern
Caitlin Patterson
Alayna Sonnesyn
Simi Hamilton
Andy Newell
Noel Keeffe
Tyler Kornfield

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Saturday, Jan. 25
4:00 a.m. - Women’s skiathlon, Oberstdorf, GER  - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
6:00 a.m. - Men’s skiathlon, Oberstdorf, GER  - Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
11:00 a.m. - Women’s skiathlon, Oberstdorf, GER  - Olympic Channel*

Sunday, Jan. 26
5:30 a.m. - Men and women’s classic sprint, Oberstdorf, GER - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

*Same-day broadcast

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.