December 4, 2009 (Dusseldorf, Germany) – After two weeks in the north – the first week in Beitostolen, Norway and last weekend in the far north of Finland at Kuusamo – the 2009/10 Veissmann FIS World Cup for cross-country skiing moves to downtown Dusseldorf in Germany. These races have become one of the big early season show races for cross-country skiing. Like Indy car racers the skiers wind their way through the streets of Dusseldorf with little or no hills and lots of turns on artificial snow that is trucked in for this event.

On Saturday (Dec. 5) there are individual sprints in skating and on Sunday there are the team sprints in skating so the distance racers, climbers and the classic specialists can stay home. These are races for the power skating sprinters.

The favorites for the men have to be the Norwegian Team. They continue to dominate the sprinting races in both classic and skating led by the Overall World Cup winner from last year – Ola Viggen Hattestad. Hattestad won nearly every race he went into last year including both races in Dusseldorf last year and he has already dominated the first World Cup sprint of the year last week in Kuusamo.

His biggest challenge outside of his own team led by Johan Kjoelstad should come from Emil Joensson of Sweden. Joensson has beaten Hattestad before, but he pulled up lame after the semi-finals last week in Kuusamo after qualifying first so he may not be ready to go. Joensson complained of a cramp in his left leg and could not start in the final. Tor Arne Hetland has done well in Dusseldorf in the past but he has retired and is now coaching the sprinters for the German team. Morilov from Russia is a strong sprint qualifier but he always seems to fade by the time he gets to the finals. He and Petukov will challenge for the Norwegians for the team sprints.

The Italians have been very quiet so far this winter, which is normal for them in an Olympic year. The Pasini brothers are very strong in the team sprints and they also could challenge for a spot on the podium.

This could be a great weekend for North American sprinters. American Andy Newell qualified 1st and finished 11th last year in Dusseldorf and along with Torin Koos finished 4th in the team sprint. Canada’s Devon Kershaw loves the action of street sprints but he crashed out last year. He will likely ski with Alex Harvey in the team sprints.

For the women, the defending champion from last year is Petra Majdic. She finished 2nd last weekend in Kuusamo and is in very good shape. Majdic dominated sprinting in the first half of the year last year, had a horrible World Championships in Liberec but she came back and won three more times to win the overall sprint World Cup. Pirjo Muranen had a terrible qualifying race in Kuusamo and did not make the heats but she should bounce back to challenge Majdic. Justina Kowalczyk (Pol) won her first sprint race last week and looks like she could do it again. World Champion, Arianna Follis (Ita) was 26th last week, but she is a much better skater so she should also contend. She has a great final 200 meter sprint – the best in the sport for women.

In the team sprint Follis and Magda Genuin are my favorites for the team sprints along with the Norwegians led by Marit Bjoergen (if she is over her sickness) and the Swedes. The Swedish women have been the best sprinters for a number of years and with Charlotte Kalla now sprinting better than ever they are real contenders to win this race. Anna Olsson, Lina Andersson and Ida Ingemarsdotter are all proven talents and they will contend.

Top US sprinter Kikkan Randall has proven that she can skate sprint with the best in the world after a silver medal at the Nordic World Championships last year in Liberec. She made a couple of mistakes in the classic sprint in Kuusamo and didn’t make the heats, but she feels that she is in great shape and is looking for redemption in Dusseldorf.

The big question mark is top Canadian sprint queen, Chandra Crawford. After winning two skating sprints in 2008 she was off all last year with injury. Her training has been going well and she has started the early season races in order to get her speed back. Crawford has not made the Olympic qualifying standard yet and needs to do so in the World Cup races before Xmas to assure herself of a place on the Canadian Team in Vancouver. Dusseldorf is her best chance to show that she should be on this team.