February 23, 2008 (Falun, Sweden) – Men’s World Cup leader Lukas Bauer (Cze) took his time getting to the front Saturday, but a fast-closing charge gave him the 30km pursuit victory as the Viessmann XC World Cup (also the Swedish Ski Games) opened in sunny, spring-like weather in Falun. Kris Freeman (USA) and Devon Kershaw (Can) were 23rd and 24th, 36 seconds back as the top 30 skiers were less than a minute off the pace.
Before the Czech’s victory, Norwegian Astrid Jacobsen won the women’s 15km pursuit by 5.9 seconds over teammate Marit Bjoergen. Canadian Sara Renner finished 16th in the field of 57 with teammate Madeleine Williams 45th and Alaskan Kikkan Randall 46th.
Jacobsen, who was a half-second ahead of Bjoergen at the end of the 7.5km classic technique stage, scrambled to victory in 41:34.2 and tightened the World Cup points lead with Finn Virpi Kuitunen, who finished 12th. With seven races to go, the Finn has 1,001 points and holds a 31-point lead. Jacobsen has won the last two races.
Bauer, who has been the World Cup leader since the Tour de Ski in January, hung in the middle of the lead pack until the final kilometers. He was second at the 24.3km mark behind Norway’s Morten Eilifsen, tied for second at 26.3km and second, 5.3 seconds back of Swede Anders Soedergren at the 28.1km mark.
But Bauer, who has become arguably the premier pursuit skier this season, took charge at the end and won in 1:11.54.1, holding off Norwegian Tord Asle Gjerdalen by seven-hundredths of a second. Soedergren was third, 5.8 seconds back.
Freeman and Kershaw stayed in the big lead pack all the way. At the 15km pit top, as the skiers changed from classic to skating technique – and shifted equipment, Freeman was 14th, just five seconds off the pace set by German Rene Sommerfeldt. Kershaw was 35th, but just 12.9 behind.
By the 24.3km checkpoint, Kershaw was up to 12th, 9.4 seconds behind Eilifsen with Freeman 24th, 16.2 out. At the 26.3km mark, Kershaw was back to 19th – but only 4.8 seconds behind Eilifsen with Freeman 22nd, only 8.0 seconds back.
Less than two kilometres later, at 28.1km, as Soedergren had taken the lead and the pace quickened up front, Kershaw was 23rd, 26.0 seconds back. Freeman was 26th, 31.9 behind.
Freeman finished in 1:12.29.9, just 0.7 up on Kershaw. Canadian George Grey was 46th in the field of 67, American Leif Zimmermann 58th and Garrott Kuzzy 60th.
With seven races left, Bauer has 1,096 points to 688 for Sommerfeldt. Kershaw is 49th overall (115 points) with Freeman 56th at 84.
Full results here.