December 26, 2010 – The fifth edition of the Viessmann FIS Tour de Ski performance by Craft Sportswear will kick off soon beginning on New Year’s eve day, December 31st – 10 days, 8 races, 4 venues in two countries – that will be the Tour de Ski 2010/2011.

The start will be in Oberhof (GER) on December 31st with the prologue in the free technique and a handicap start race on January 1st (that means that the athletes start with the time difference from the first Stage) over 10km (women) and 15km (men) in classical technique. The program of the 2011 FIS Tour de Ski will continue on January 2nd with a classic sprint on the Sunday and on January 3rd there’s a short Pursuit race for ladies over 5km + 5 km and for the men over 10km + 10km in Oberstdorf, the venue for the 2005 World Championships.

After four intensive days of competitions the athletes will clearly deserve the first rest day on January 4th. In Toblach, the racers will face first the challenge of the free technique sprint on January 5th before for the second Handicap Pursuit race, on the schedule for January 6th. From Cortina d’Ampezzo to Toblach, the male athletes will be racing in a free technique handicap start over 35km. Out of the experiences from the last year, the ladies’ will start this time in the stadium of Toblach and make a three times 5km loop for 15km.

After the second rest day, the Tour will conclude in the valley of ‘Fiemme’, the host of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 2003 and 2013. On January 8, 2011, the athletes will compete in a mass start race over 10km (ladies) and 20km (men) in classical technique. The last competition on January 9th, the already famous ‘Final Climb,’ will start in the Cross-Country Stadium Lago di Tesero and end on Alpe Cermis, with the last climb stretching over 3.7km with an altitude of 425m. Both genders will contest the same course and race 9km in free technique.

The snow conditions are promising everywhere. All venues just have a short warm period but thanks to cold weather at the beginning of December all have enough snow to prepare good courses. With the start of Christmas the weather will change and a cold period is expected. The fifth edition of the Viessmann FIS Tour de Ski performance by Craft Sportswear is ready – come and join us on the Tour 2010/2011!

More information HERE.
For starting times & schedule click HERE.

Tour de Ski rankings 2010/2011

Women
1. Justyna Kowalczyk, POL
2. Petra Majdic, SLO
3. Arianna Follis, ITA

Men
1. Lukas Bauer, CZE
2. Petter Northug, NOR
3. Dario Cologna, SUI