February 02, 2012 (Sochi, Russia) – Switzerland’s Dario Cologna attacked on the final hill to earn a strong gap on a posse of Russians that would not catch him as he took his first World Cup victory this season winning the men’s 30km skiathlon (15kmCL+15kmFR).   Russia’s IIia Chernousov was second and Alexander Legkov was third with Maxim Vylegzhanin 4th and Evgeniy Belove 5th.

Dario Cologna (SUI) © Nordic Focus file photo

Canada’s Ivan Babikov, 32, was the top North American with a solid 17th-place finish putting in a strong classic leg near the front. He dropped back into the top-20 during the skate portion and tried to regain momentum near the end getting as high as tenth but the effort was too much and he faded to 17th.

“It was good to get out there and see how things are going to be next year,” said Babikov. “The skate course is incredibly hard which should be in my favour, but I just had one gear today. It was a good test today though.

“It has been a good season for sure when you look at the points. It feels good to finally be up there and in the red group. This week was another important World Cup week for points, but it was also just really important to test the snow, weather and see what we will deal with next year,” he added.

Ivan Babiko © Pam Doyle

The USA’s Noah Hoffman had a tough start and found himself in the 30s but recovered during the second half and was looking good as high as 16th at one point but the stiff climb at the end saw him finish 26th.

“The race today was hard and I was struggling but I was happy to stay in the points. I had a bad start and a bit of a mishap when I tangled with another skier. I ended up a long ways down the field. I was able to move back into the top-20 by taking the inside line across the skate course, but it was a hard effort.

For most of the race I was trying to hang on. The classic course was hard, but not crazy. The skate course, ending with a kilometer and a half long climb, was brutal. My skate skis were great. They helped keep me in the race. I am really excited to come back to this venue next year. I believe these courses suit me perfectly. Also, I am super psyched for Liz and her great result today,” said the Hoff.

Canada’s Devon Kershaw, 30, fresh off his best result of the season at Friday’s sprint race, skied a strong classic leg but lost his zip in the skate leg and ended up finishing 38th.

Full results HERE.
Results w/splits HERE.