May 27, 2009 (Cavtat-Dubrovnik, Croatia) – The Sub-Committee for the Cross-Country World Cup was working hard in Cavtat last week to finalize the World Cup Calendar 2009/10. In the calendar, there are 24 World Cup competitions (the Tour and the Final both count as one) in 11 different countries in North America and Europe.

The season will kick off in Beitostoelen (NOR) on November 21-22 and will then move  to Kuusamo (FIN) for the Nordic Opening where the traditional programme with a sprint and an interval start competition will take place. New at the beginning of December is the city sprint in Düsseldorf (GER) moving from the weekend before Christmas. With Davos (SUI) a traditional venue follows before the first period concludes a new World Cup venue of Rogla (SLO). It is the first time since 1993 that a Cross-Country World Cup will be held in the home country of the sprint World Cup winner Petra Majdic.

After Christmas, the FIS Tour de Ski will kick off on January 1 in Oberhof (GER) with three stages in a row before moving to Prague (CZE) for an evening sprint event. After the first rest day, the Tour will continue with a Stage from Cortina to Toblach (both ITA) while the sixth Stage will be staged directly at the rebuilt stadium of Toblach. Another rest day follows before the Tour is traditionally concluding in Val di Fiemme (ITA) with a mass start competition and the final climb to the Alpe Cermis.

After the Tour, the World Cup continues with weekends in Otepää (EST, January 16-17) and Rybinsk (RUS, January 22-24). The third period of the Cross-Country Calendar features the pre-Olympic races in Canmore (CAN) and the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver which will take place from February 12-28, 2009.

After the Games, the Cross-Country family will conclude the World Cup season in Scandinavia with the traditional competitions in Lahti (FIN), Drammen (NOR), Oslo (NOR), Stockholm (SWE) and Falun (SWE). In Lahti, for the first time since several years, a relay and pursuit will be on the schedule while Oslo will organize the test events for the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships 2011 in the rebuilt venue at Holmenkollen with a sprint and a mass start long distance race. Like last year, Stockholm and Falun will host the World Cup Final which is a four-stage mini Tour.

The FIS Nordic Junior World Championships will return to Germany next season after hosting this event in 2002. In Hinterzarten in the Black Forest the World Cup skiers of tomorrow will fight for the medals from January 24-31. Please click here to see the World Cup Calendar 2009/10.