January 6, 2010 (Cortina/Toblach, Italy) – Canada’s Ivan Babikov edged out Tom Reichelt (Ger) in a photo finish to place 9th in the men’s 36km Stage 5 Handicap Start Pursuit freestyle race as Norway’s Petter Northug didn’t waste any time reasserting his skiing prowess adding another win to his resume with a time of 1:25:38, nipping Dario Cologna (SUI) and Marcus Hellner (SWE) at the line. Frenchman Jean Marc Gaillard came up from 15th starting position to take 4th.

Babikov had a phenomenal day, coming from 36th place to take 9th, at 37 seconds from the winner, with teammate Devon Kershaw placing 17th at 48 seconds. Alex Harvey (CAN) finished with the second pack of skiers in 21st, at 3:24.6, while George Grey finished in 34th.

The 29-year-old Babikov of Canmore, Alta. actually posted the fastest time of the day in the 36km handicap start race – where athletes start time-behind-the-leader – beginning in 36th. He made huge gains on the field clocking the top time of the day at 1:26:15.1, good enough to move him into ninth spot in the race.

“That was one of my best races of my career I’d say,” said Babikov, who won the final and most difficult stage in last year’s Tour de Ski at Val di Fiemme, Italy. “That was a really hard race with a non-stop gradual uphill from the beginning. Lots of people weren’t able to handle it because we are getting tired, but I just tried to pace myself and kept gaining time on the lead group.”

Babikov, who joined the Canadian team from Russia two years ago, worked his way back into the top-pack with teammate Devon Kershaw, of Sudbury, Ont., who finished in 17th spot at 1:26:26.0.

“I fought hard to catch Devon’s group first and then he and I worked really well together to catch the lead pack. I owe Devon a lot of the credit today because he did a great job,” said Babikov, who is a distance specialist. “I was getting tired with all of the sprint races at the beginning of the Tour, but now I have caught that lead group and I’m in the fight so it is exciting.”

Northug takes back the Tour lead with last year’s winner Cologna in second only 0.4s back and Hellner is 3rd at 0.8s. Babikov sits in 9th overall at 37.1s, Kershaw is 17th, Harvey 21st, and Grey is 34th.

The men’s Tour de Ski field has been whittled down to 62 competitors.
Wednesday’s stages are a 5km for the women and 10km classic race for the men in Toblach, ITA.

Men’s 36km Pursuit full results here.
Men’s TdS Overall standings here.

Men
1. Petter Northug (NOR) 1:25:38
2. Dario Cologna (SUI) +0.4
3. Marcus Hellner (SWE) +0.8
4. Jean Marc Gaillard (FRA) +10.8
5. Matti Heikkinen (FIN) +12.0

9. Ivan Babikov (CAN) +37.1
17. Devon Kershaw (CAN) +48.0
21. Alex Harvey (CAN) +3.24.6
34. George Grey (CAN) +5:57.3

Men’s press conference Toblach, 35 km F Handicap Start