Ruka by night © Kimmo Salminen/FIS

November 24, 2011 (Kuusamo, FIN) – The Viessmann FIS World Cup moves to Kuusamo, Finland this weekend for the official Nordic Opening of the season with all Nordic disciplines converging for a massive free-heel gathering of the clan for three days of racing and camaraderie. For XC the focus is on the first mini-tour, of the season at a race venue so far north that organizers barely have enough daylight to squeeze in each day’s events.

Last year’s winners of this 3-stage XC event, Marit Bjoergen (NOR) and Alexander Legkov (RUS), will return to defend their titles. Both the Canadian and American teams, which had mixed results here last year, will be hoping to build on the success they have had in early season races so far this year – and for several team members it’s their inaugural event this season.

Kuusamo’s “Ruka Triple” starts with Friday’s classic sprint. Saturday features short distance freestyle races, 5km for the women and 10km for the men. Finally, Sunday rolls out the 10km and 15km classic distance races with pursuit starts. In addition to individual stage wins, athletes will be competing for the title of overall mini-tour winner.

Like everywhere else in Scandinavia, the venue at Kuusamo has been challenged by warm temperatures and lack of snow. A recent drop in temperatures, however, allowed snowmaking over the past week and organizers have been able to lay out a course. The weather was warm again today and the forecast is calling for a rain/snow mix with high temperatures hovering just above zero for the next couple of days, which the racers will no doubt enjoy compared to the -20C deep freeze they endured during last year’s event.

Bjoergen is the odds on favourite to repeat as the women’s overall victor, given the way she skied in Sjusjoen, Norway last weekend. No one will be surprised if she is joined on the podium by one or more of her Norwegian teammates either, considering the show of force they put on in both the individual and relay events there.

With the retirement of top all-rounders  Petra Majdic (SLO), Arianna Follis (ITA) and Marianna Longa (ITA), all of whom finished in the top 10 last year, and with last year’s runner up, Justyna Kowalczyk (POL) looking vulnerable so far, the door is open for other women to make their mark here.

Charlotte Kalla (3rd last year) will be in the mix, but watch out for Finland’s Kristin Lahteenmaki, who will be looking to impress on home soil. Lahteenmaki  finished 11th in the women’s 10km F and skied the lead-off leg for Finland’s bronze medal-winning relay team in Sjusjoen. U.S. sprint queen Kikkan Randall will be shooting for a top-10 as well, if not a  podium, now that she has established herself as a threat in distance events as well – she landed her best distance result in Sjusjoen placing 8th in the 10km.

On the men’s side, last year’s overall winner, Legkov, will return to battle most of last year’s contenders for the overall title, including Dario Cologna (SUI), Marcus Hellner (SWE), and the Czech Republic’s Lukas Bauer, who makes his World Cup season debut in Kuusamo. Norway’s Petter Northug Jr, who missed Kuusamo last year due to illness, will be there too.

Legkov hasn’t exhibited the dominant form he displayed at this time last year, however – at least not in Sjusjoen – which may not be a bad thing given that he was forced to abandon the Tour de Ski a few weeks after his triumph in Kussamo last year due to illness, possibly exacerbated by his legendary training load.

All eye’s will be on Canada’s Alex Harvey, who finished 5th in the men’s 15km in Sjusjoen – his best result ever in a 15km. Harvey sat out the relay event to rest up for Kuusamo and should be considered a threat for the overall, as should Swedish youngster Calle Halfvarsson, who is versatile and appears to be in good form right now as well.

Distance specialists Roland Clara (ITA), Maurice Manificat (FRA), and John Olsson (Sweden) have looked strong in the early season and could grab stage wins on Saturday or Sunday. The Finnish men will try to make a mark on the home crowd as well, to shift the focus from the most recent doping scandal involving Juha Lallukka, but Matti Heikinnen won’t be competing due to an eye injury.

As for the North Americans, both the U.S. and Canadian teams will be looking for some redemption after both showed great promise in the early going at this event last year, but ended with mixed results, particularly on the men’s side. Andy Newell placed 6th in the sprint event last year, but faded in the distance races and eventually withdrew, as did teammate Simi Hamilton. Kris Freeman, however, put together two strong distance results to finish 12th overall.

Canada’s Harvey cracked the top 10 on the sprint day as well, but, like Newell, faded in the distance events, finishing 38th on the final day and 17th overall. Devon Kershaw was Canada’s most consistent skier in Kuusamo last year, where he finish 10th overall. He’s surely looking for redemption given his lacklustre start in Sjusjoen.

Harvey has had the best start to the season of all the North American men so far and can both sprint and race distance,  so he could challenge for the overall, especially on those fresh legs of his. Kershaw is still trying to find the form he had last year, but is well suited to the 15k classic pursuit on the final day. Let’s just hope his skis are bolted on this weekend!

Lenny Valjas, who got his first European World Cup start at this event last year, and managed to qualify in the sprint, no less, before eventually withdrawing, has an opportunity to prove his chops as a legitimate distance skier this weekend, but will have to last three gruelling days to do so. Joining Harvey, Kershaw and Valjas in Kuusamo will be Ivan Babikov, Drew Goldsack, Kevin Sandau and Graham Nishikawa.

The U.S. men have had lacklustre individual results so far this year, but Newell could be dangerous in tomorrow’s sprint, and with another week on snow under his belt, Freeman could surprise and find the form he showed here last year, especially in Sunday’s 15k classic pursuit, which plays to his strengths. Joining Newell and Freeman this weekend will be Simi Hamilton, Noah Hoffman, Tad Elliot and Lars Flora.

Expectations of the U.S. women will be high this weekend, considering the solid start they made last weekend in Sjusjoen. Randall, who finished 19th overall in Kuusamo last year, has upped her game in distance races yet again, finishing 8th last weekend in Sjusjoen. With the retirement of sprint veterans like Majdic, Follis, and Genuin this spring, she could crack the top 10 in Friday’s sprint, despite not being the best classic sprinter. Liz Stephen proved that she can contend in the distance events as well, finishing 18th in Sjusjoen. With last weekend’s 9th place finish in the women’s 4x5k relay, the U.S. women’s team will also be bringing more depth to Kuusamo than in the past. Joining Randall and Stephen in Kuusamo will be Ida Sargent, Holly Brooks and Sadie Bjornsen.

Finally, the Canadian women make their World Cup debut this weekend joining the Nordic Euro party in Kuusamo. While Perianne Jones, Chandra Crawford and Alysson Marshall raced in Bruksvallarna, Sweden two weeks ago, they passed over Sjusjoen in order to train and prepare for Kuusamo. Joining them will be Dasha Gaiazova, who continued training in excellent snow conditions in Banff until last Saturday. All four women are considered sprint specialists and anything less than qualification for at least two or three or them tomorrow will be a disappointment.

Gaiazova and Crawford will certainly be looking for more consistency and improvement over last year’s results here, with Gaiazova finishing 48th overall and Crawford withdrawing. With lots of mini-tour experience on the NorAm circuit last year, and a top 20 distance result in Bruksvallarna, Jones should be ready to perform in Kuusamo as well.

According to Head Coach Justin Wadsworth, “They’re all healthy and fine, and motivated to race which is good.” We asked how Gaiazova is looking as she’s been at odds recently with the team and Wadsworth told SkiTrax, “The reports have been positive, so it will be interesting to see how fast she can be.”

Men’s Start List HERE.
Women’s Start List HERE.