March 26, 2010 (Fort Kent, Maine) – US XC Ski Team vet
erans Andrew Newell (Stratton Mountain School/US Ski Team) and Kikkan Randall (APU Nordic Ski Center/US Ski Team) were the respective winners at the men’s mass start classic 10km and women’s 7km SuperTour mini-tour final races in Fort Kent, Maine on Friday. Lars Flora (APU Nordic Ski Cente) in second was edged out by only 0.6s with Torin Koos (US Ski Team) close behind in third at 1.6s. Brent McMurtry (Canadian Ski Team) lead the Canadian contingent in 4th. In the women’s race Ida Sargent (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) claimed second at 29.8s with top CXC Team Vertical Limit skier Rebecca Dussault just behind her in third.Canada’s Ivan Babikov (Nordic Foothils Ski Club) in 5th was leading for almost the entire race earning valuable bonus points and cash preems, but a wrong turn off course near the end cost him the victory. He protested that the someone should have been directing skiers to the proper lane but the rules state that the onus is on each skier to know the course.
Saturday’s start positions are affected by today’s time along with bonuses meaning it’s Newell in yellow, then Koos, Babikov, Flora and McMurtry – with the bonuses he earned Babikov is 15s behind Newell.
Men’s live timed results here.
Women’s live timed results here.
Results (brief)
Men’s 10km
1. Andrew Newell (Stratton Mountain School/US Ski Team) 26:28.2
2. Lars Flora (APU Nordic Ski Cente) +0.6
3. Torin Koos (US Ski Team) +1.6
4. Brent McMurtry (Canadian Ski Team) +2.5
5. Ivan Babikov (Nordic Foothils Ski Club) +17.3
Women’s 7km
1. Kikkan Randall (APU Nordic Ski Center/US Ski Team) 21:01.4
2. Ida Sargent (Craftsbury Green Racing Project) +29.8
3. Rebecca Dussault (CXC Team Vertical Limit) +31.3
4. Kristina Strandberg (Atomic) +31.7
5. Holly Brooks (APU Nordic Ski Center) +52.6