Livigno (ITA) – some surprises before the finals

Plenty of pleasant surprises marked the 5th stage of the Telemark World Cup in Livigno (ITA). This season is definitely not a smooth ride for everyone, except maybe for Jasmin Taylor (GBR) and Elie Nabot (FRA), who are currently consolidating their lead in the overall standings before the finals in Pra Loup (FRA) next week.

SPRINT: Two races full of surprises

In the first Sprint race, Argeline Tan Bouquet (FRA) clinched her first victory of the season after two second places in Aal (NOR). Jasmin Taylor (GBR) finished second and Camille Bourbon (FRA) third. In the second Sprint race, Norwegian Kaja Bjoernstad secured her very first Sprint victory, after showcasing her speed in the classic races in Aal (NOR). Jasmin Taylor demonstrated consistency without risking her position, solidifying her first place in the Sprint standings. She has already secured the Sprint Globe even before the finals in Pra Loup. Taking third place is Laly Chaucheprat (FRA), ahead of her compatriot Camille Bourbon (FRA) in fourth. Following these two Sprint races, the landscape of the women's overall standings for the Sprint World Cup sees a shuffle, except for Jasmin Taylor and Goril Strom Eriksen (NOR), who remains second, event without a podium finish in Livigno. Argeline Tan Bouquet (FRA) makes significant progress with her victory, moving up from fifth to third place, pushing Laly Chaucheprat (FRA) down to fifth. Camille Bourbon (FRA) maintains her fourth position. The French racers are closely packed, and everything could still change in Pra Loup for the third place in the Sprint standings.

On the men's side, the pleasant surprise comes from Trym Nygaard Loeken. The Norwegian returned to action after a season without racing due to a major surgery in December. The Viking immediately showed his readiness by posting the second-best time in the first run of the first Sprint race... unfortunately, he tangled his skis after the jump in the second run. The Franco-French battle for the top spot continued in Italy. Elie Nabot won the first race, while Noé Claye won the second Sprint after his fall in the first one. This season, they are indeed the two leading figures in the discipline. However, Elie Nabot holds the advantage with three Sprint victories already this season. French dominance didn't overshadow the rest of the top 3 male racers. Italian Raphael Mahlknecht secured his second second place finish of the season in the first Sprint. It seems like racing in his home country gives him wings, as he had already impressed in Carezza. Yoann Rostolan (FRA) finished third in the first Sprint. In the second Sprint, Elie Nabot finished second and another pleasant surprise came from Trym Nygaard Loeken (NOR), who finished third. The Norwegian hasn't lost his touch during his forced break! Alexis Page (FRA), who has been a regular at third place this season with 6 podiums, including 5 third places, missed out on both Sprint races. Young German Max Sautter achieved a very respectable 5th place in the first Sprint, while Englishman Timoté Gough secured his first top 10 in the Sprint World Cup with an 8th place finish.

The standout performance over these two days goes to local Giacomo Bormolini (ITA), who secured a 7th and a very promising 5th place just before the Junior World Championships, which will also take place in Pra Loup next week. This marks his first top 5 in the Sprint World Cup in his young career, all in front of his friends and home crowd! A source of great pride for the Livigno village!

In the standings of the Sprint World Cup, Elie Nabot (FRA) now leads by 127 points over Noé Claye (FRA), already securing the Sprint Globe.

CLASSIC: Trym Nygaard Loeken rules

Among the women, Argeline Tan Bouqet (FRA) triumphed ahead of her compatriot Laly Chaucheprat. The two French racers achieved a beautiful double with zero penalties for each of them. Jasmin Taylor completed the podium. Norwegians Bjoernstad Konow and Strom Eriksen finished 4th and 5th respectively. Kaja Bjoernstad Konow still maintains her position as the leader in the Classic standings, while Laly Chaucheprat (FRA) and Augustine Carliez (FRA) made significant advances. They are now 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Classic standings before the finals.

Among the men, Trym Nygaard Loeken (NOR) triumphed ahead of Noé Claye (FRA) in 2nd, Yoann Rostolan (FRA) in 3rd, Alexis Page (FRA) in 4th, and Olle Collberg (SWE) in 5th. The five men fought fiercely with zero penalties for each of them. It was high-flying Telemark, and in this game, Loeken proved to be the strongest! What a remarkable comeback... 2 podiums and 1 victory in 5 days of racing. Noé Claye (FRA) extended his lead over Elie Nabot (FRA) in the Classic standings, as the latter finished 7th in this classic race.

Jasmin Taylor and Elie Nabot maintain their status as leaders in the overall World Cup standings. The Englishwoman is almost certain to win the big Globe, but for the men, a thunderous upset is still possible. Indeed, Trym Nygaard Loeken (NOR) could disrupt the proceedings and influence the distribution of the last precious points on the circuit. Stay tuned!