March 24, 2012 (Mont Ste-Anne, QC) – It’s the final day of competition at the 2012 Haywood Ski Nationals in MSA and the Junior/Elite Men’s 30/50km classic race is underway. The juniors will complete six (6) laps of the 5km course while the Elite men will complete ten (10) laps. Weather: – 3, light cloud cover, little wind from the west.

Lap 1
The race started on time – at 2km the pack order is Kevin Sandau (#4), Alex H, Drew G (#10), Devon (#2).

Junior Men started 5min wave afterwards.

Lap 2
First lap through stadium, lead by Kevin Sandau – fast lap at 13:28, Drew Goldsack, Devon Kershaw, Gerard Garnier (younger racer from the Alberta World Cup Academy), Alex Harvey…

Note:  Justin Freeman of the USA team is racing today sitting in 28th position. The US SuperTour Finals and XC Nationals begin today at Craftbury Common, VT and run Mar. 24-31 – and have been battling with warm conditions but everything is a GO – read more HERE.

Junior Men came through stadium, tight pack with both Norwegians in the lead five.  Lap time: 14:08 of the leader Sindre Bjornestad Skar (Norway).

Order: Skar, Alexis Turgeon(QC), Colin Ferrien (BC), 98 Simon Lapointe (QC), Nyenget (NOR),

Senior Men new leader is Graham Nishikawa (#6) at 26: 52. Pack still tight.

Lap 3
Senior Men at 12km – Michael Somppi is now leading followed by Ivan, Devon, Drew, Alex, Sandau, Brent Mc – still tight pack

Junior Men – Norwegians are racing their own race, coming through stadium to complete lap #3 – half way. Faster pace than Sr Men at 40:29 = 20 seconds faster. The juniors last lap was 13:28 = to the Sr Men’s first lap.

Lap 4
Babikov starts the fourth of ten laps in the lead with – the time is 40:49 – then Somppi, Kevin Sandau, Drew G, Matthew Wylie, Brent Mc, Graham Nishikawa, Garniew.

Sr Men at 17km – Ivan, Devon, Alex, Nishikawa, Brent, Sandau, Drew, Somppi

Jr Men – pack is thru stadium and start fourth lap – lap time = 14:15. The Norwegians are off the front w/2 minute lead over chasers lead by Zack Holland, Turgeon, Johnsgaard, Lapointe, Couturier, Sander-Green, Lapierre, Richards, Carlyle, Ferrie

Norwegians are working together, Skar and Nyenget switching places in their signature red suits still 15 seconds faster than the Sr Men’s pack at 17 km.

Lap 5
The Elite men start their 5th lap lead by bib#2 Devon Kershaw, Alex, Nishikawa, McMurtry, Ivan, Sandau, Somppi, Drew, Cockney,

Pace has picked up – lap time was 12:51 – total time 53:55 – skiing single file now.

Junior Men are now thru stadium lead by the two Norwegians (#92 and #91). Lap time = 13:21. Total time = 53:51 (still 4 seconds faster than the Senior Men’s overall time).

The Canadian juniors lead by Raphael Couturier are now 3:09 off the Norwegians – following behind are Johngaard, Turgeon, Lapierre, Holland, Sander-Green, and Lapointe  lap time for the 4th lap for Couturier was 14:28.

The two Norwegians racing here today are the top two Juniors in the World having gotten most of the medals at the 2012 Junior Worlds in February in Ezurum, Turkey.

Sr Men at 22km – Alex and Devon have broken from the pack and have a strong lead over Ivan, Nishikawa, McMurty, Sandau – then another break before Somppi skiing on his own, followed in the distance by Drew and Cockney.

Lap 6 – Final Lap for Juniors
Harvey and Kershaw are working together coming thru the stadium with a 43-second lead over the pack. Lap 5 was skied at a pace of 12:53 for a running total 1:06:48. They’re now half-way thru the 50km classic ski race…

Mini pack behind is lead by McMurty (2nd in last year’s 50km FR in Canmore), Ivan, Nishikawa, Sandau with a lap time of 13:33.

Michael Somppi is skiing on his own, but the bigger group behind is catching him.  Third pack now lead by Cockney, Goldsack, and Seaton catching on.

Junior Men – the Norwegians come through stadium and head out on their final lap of 30km. Lap time was 13:28 – very consistent lap times, skiing noticeably smooth and elegant. Total race time now is 1:07:33 (now 45 seconds behind the Sr. Men leaders of Kershaw and Harvey).

Junior Cdn men ski through stadium lead strongly by Couturier wearing the Leader’s Bib with a lap time of 14:28 and a total time of  1:11:41 (now at 4 minutes behind the Norwegians).

Norway’s Sindre Bjornestad Skar (#91) wins in 1:20:04.40 beating out his team mate Martin Loewstroem Nyenget by only a few metres with a time of 1:20:04.78.

1. Sindre Bjornestad Skar (NOR) 1:20:04.40
2. Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR) 1:20:04.78

Junior Cdn Men racing for the podium are coming into the stadium – two skiers racing for gold  are Knute Johngaard of Whitehorse out-sprinting Stefan Sander-Green of Kimberley, B.C. by 0.37 seconds.

The bronze medal was also a tight race between Simon Lapointe of Quebec grabbing the final championship podium spot by 0.43sec over Geoffrey Richards from Black Jack, B.C. Yannick Lapierre of the Quebec contingent from the Nakkertok Ski Club was fifth and Colin Ferrie was sixth.

Following within one minute were nine Canadians:  Sebastian Townsend in seventh, Raphael Couturier in eighth, and Alexis Turgeon in ninth.

Unofficial
1. Sindre Bjornestad Skar (NOR) 1:20:04.40
2. Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR) 1:20:04.78
3. Knute Johngaard (Whitehorse) 1:24:58.99  Gold
4. Stefan Sander-Green (Kimberley, B.C.)  1:24:59.36 Silver
5. Simon Lapointe (Skinouk) 1:25:08.35 Bronze

Lap 7
Kershaw and Harvey begin lap 7 of 10  – no one else in sight coming into the stadium.  Crowds cheering these guys are smiling and loving it.

Mini pack chasing is the same and they’re working together with Ivan B leading and a lap time of 13:40 – now at 1 minute 14sec behind the leaders.

Bib #11 still skiing his own race is Michael Somppi who comes thru at 2:09 behind the leaders. Lap time has slowed to 14:16.
The bigger pack is now thru with Colin Abbott +2:48 of leaders.

Lap 8
Canadian superstars, Devon Kershaw and Alex Harvey are skiing their own race starting their 8th lap with a total time of 1:26:55.55… they completed Lap 7 in 13:22. Now less than 15km to go.

The mini chase pack with Brent McMurtry, Ivan Babikov, Graham Nishikawa and Kevin Sandau is working together and trading lead positions completing the last lap 7 in 14:02 for a total time of 1:07:32.04  was .

Michael Somppi is still on his own… lap time of 14:22 and slowly being caught by the bigger pack behind now at 37 seconds.

Lap 9
On the penultimate lap it’s Alex Harvey skiing around the Stadium bend passing other skiers on the curve with Devon Kevon matching skis with him stride for stride as they begin their 9th lap. Side by side they ski out of the stadium looking comfortable.  Their lap time was 13:31 with a total time of 1:38:01.30.

Mini pack came thru and Jessie Cockney has caught up with Michael Somppi.

Lap 10 FINAL
The two leaders complete the ninth lap with Harvey leading Kershaw by a ski pole – they come thru the stadium with spectators cheering louder now as they head out for the final lap. The lap time slowed slightly (13:59) and they’ve been out skiing for a total of time of 2:00:52 – maintaining a pace of 22km an hour – WOW !

The chasing mini pack is down to three with Babikov, Nishikawa, and Sandau still pushing ahead as they’ve dropped McMurtry now dangling of the back…lap time was 14:27 at 3 minutes 20 seconds behind the leaders.

Next wave: Cockney is skiing just ahead of Somppi at 4 mins 20 sec behind the leaders.

The race to the finish won’t be given up easily to the local superstar, who’s name graces the stadium banners well as Trail #33 now named the Harvey trail… Alex and Devon are neck in neck entering the stadium side by side – but they chose to be friends for life, and are ARM in ARM crossing the line in synch – the crowd loves it:

It’s a TIE…

Out on the course Ivan Babikov attacks and has made his move skiing 100m ahead of Nishikawa at 47km.

Unofficial
1. Alex Harvey 2:14:45
2. Devon Kershaw 2:14:45
3. Ivan Babikov 2:17:33
4. Graham Nishikawa 2:17:22
5. Kevin Sandau 2:27:42