March 07, 2016 – Ski Tour Canada – The Tour is half-over and you couldn’t ask for it to be any better – as exciting as all hell and above all, it has been like winter – tons of snow and cold at all three sites. The sprint courses, both of them, have been very dynamic, but, oh so different.

The Gatineau course would let you come from behind, especially with a sling shot move off the last corner. While, the QC course penalized you if you wanted to sit in the back like Northug did in the final.

Both, close to the crowd, spectator-friendly and FAST, and everything that goes with sprinting – BRAVO!!
The distance races were the same and I thought the QC course stood up well to finding the right winner even though there was nothing like Sweden’s “Death Hill” in it.

On to the West and the best WC venue in the World, bar none!!!

Newbies To The WC – It has been interesting to read over the summer and fall how the newbies (domestics) were going to deal with the internationals when they got them on their  “home courses”. Well, as I’ve written, I haven’t seen many of the skiers from the US or Canada in the first half of the STC blasting out top-30 results. Everyone seems to be in there rightful places – lots of forties and fifties and no surprising WC points. Yes, one surprise in the sprints is the 30th and 34th place by Canada’s Maya Macisaac-Jones, races she can recall on those horrible training days next fall when it is pouring rain and is 34 degrees and she has one more Zone 5 interval to do. The future looks good here – now for the training to look good.

So, you haven’t hit your mark and it is the halfway point of the STC – how about blasting your next races!!! Give them a Johaug out of the starting gate start or at least a more on the edge pace of racing! Anything, but what you have been doing – the skiathlon will provide you with the foremat you need to project yourself forward, as you will be with skier’s of your ability. In the first 10 minutes of the race try to pick up at least 10-15 places and hang on – don’t panic – RELAX.

I would suggest you go to one of the hot Americans and ask them about their strategy or if you are too nervous to do this, try e-mail. I’ll bet Jessie Diggin’s would help you out – nothing ventured – nothing gained.
GO FOR IT!

Pursuit Start Races – Still dislike them with a passion and think a mass start provides a format that the racers and especially the spectators like a whole lot more. The whole Pursuit concept is just plain confusing and no spectator is going to bring his computer to the course, so they can figure out what the heck is going on. But, FIS knows better and thinks the bonus points and the time formats are exciting to the spectators – well they aren’t.

Also, when has the racer starting first ever been caught, maybe once in the whole history of this format and another indicator of  it’s uselessness is that it isn’t being used at any other time in races at any leve – PERIOD.

Actually, a good name for this format is “The DODO” format – need I say more!!

TALK TO YOU SOON!!