December 8, 2007 (Davos, Switzerland) – Former World Cup champion Axel Teichmann took the overall points lead Saturday, winning a 15km World Cup classic race in Davos. Among the women, past and current World Cup champions played a game of tag in their 10km CL as defending champion Virpi Kuitunen of Finland returned from sickness while current leader Marit Bjoergen didn’t race because of sickness.

North American skiers struggled on the so-called zero-degree (C.) day. As the temperature hovered at freezing and wet snow fell for a while, waxing problems developed. Kris Freeman, who was fifth in Davos in December 2003 and was 15th in a 15km skate race a year ago, was bogged down by the wet snow and trudged home in 50th.

Top North American man was Canada’s Devon Kershaw, who was 35th in the field of 59. Alaskan Kikkan Randall provided the best North American women’s result, finishing 37th, a half-second ahead of Canadian medalist Sara Renner, who has returned to the World Cup circuit after skipping last winter in favor of motherhood.

Teichmann, who is skipping sprints in the early season, kept moving forward – eighth at the end of the first 5km loop, then seventh at the 10km mark and No. 1 at the finish. His time was 38:43.6 with Norway’s Odd-Bjoern Hjelmeset runner-up in 38:52.4. Finn Sami Jauhojaervi was third.

Kuitunen, racing for the time since the opening sprint in Dusseldorf, Germany, in late October, made up 11 seconds on Norway’s Vibeke Skofterud in the final lap. She won in 27:27.3 with Skofterud 10.9 seconds off the winning pace. Aina Kaisa Saarinen of Finland was third (27:50.8).

The relays are set for Sunday.

For complete women’s results.

For complete men’s results.