‘s skiing experts Ville Nousiainen and Aino-Kaisa Saarinen round up the skiing topics. Teemu Pasanen took a strong stand on the street noises.
Roope Visuri,
Riku Salminen,
Laura Arffman
We started the Tour de Ski Saturday with the highest Finnish expectations, but Kerttu Neck finished sixth in the 20 km combined start race (10 km on traditional and 10 km on freestyle skiing).
Niskanen missed the winner of the competition Therese from Johaug more than 2 minutes. He fell to fourth overall. Jessie Diggins was more than a minute harder in the combined race of the day, so Diggins starts with a 40-second lead on the final climb of Alpe Cermis in Niska.
‘s ski expert Ville Nousiainen was amazed at Niskanen’s collapse.
– I would never have believed that the really durable Kerttu Niskanen would start to bend already in the traditional part of the top speeds. This was an unfortunate work accident, which happens to everyone at the Tour itself, says Nousiainen.
Nousiainen believes that Niskanen’s fight for the podium is not in his own hands. Niskanen himself believed that the game was clear. He handled his race in such a way that he couldn’t do better.
Does Niskas still have strength?
– I have to squeeze the first three kilometers uphill. Until then, everyone can probably ski in a group. Then we’ll see who has the mental edge, Nousiainen estimates.
The head coach Teemu Badass saw the race as a true endurance race.
– The fittest ones definitely stood out on that track. There were big differences, Pasanen estimates.
In Pasanen’s opinion, Niskas started to show fatigue, because Finland’s number one has, according to the head coach, practically had to ski alone for three competitions. At least in Toblach, 20 kilometers as an intermediate start with free skiing and 15 kilometers as a pursuit race with a traditional one, but Pasanen counted third in today’s race.
– Kerttu couldn’t keep up with the bow. Now those few competitions backfired, Pasanen estimates.
The head coach has a sharp line about the tracks
During the Tour, the tracks in Val di Fiemme have been the talk of the town, as they will be contested at next year’s Olympics. Friday’s sprint track had a complete crash. Ville Nousiainen, on the other hand, did not find the course of the day’s men’s combined start race demanding.
Kerttu Niskanen himself stated to over the weekend that this would not be his dream place for the Olympics. He would take the competitions to even tougher terrains and to higher heights. Of course, Niskanen believed in the same breath that Val di Fiemme will have good and tough Olympic tracks.
Finland’s head coach Teemu Badass hoped on Saturday evening that the sprint track seen on Friday would be reconsidered, because the finish at the end will decide a lot.
Of the tracks of the normal distance, only one 3.3 kilometer loop was still open. According to Pasanen, the slopes will be even more tough when the links on the traditional skiing side are open. Then, according to the head coach, we will also go higher.
Pasase had a completely different voice on the clock compared to Niskase when he talked about the harshness of the upcoming Olympic tracks.
– These are really hard tracks, as it should be in value races. Endurance has to be used to solve normal distance races. I personally like that the tracks are hard enough. The fittest and most durable will win, Pasanen described.
In his opinion, you have to be able to ski steep climbs on the Olympic tracks of Val di Fiemme. According to the head coach, it has also been practiced.
– You have to be able to ski a steep climb. Must be able to withstand pressure when pedaling with a traditional or hoe. Invoices cannot be refunded. They are really winding and quite demanding, Pasanen emphasizes the demanding nature of the Olympic tracks.
Aino-Kaisa Saarinen incensed Therese Johaug
Therese Johaug was downright superior in the women’s combined start race. Johaug wasn’t even supposed to participate in the Tour, but wanted to compete more. Now that decision seems to have paid off.
Johaug described to after the race that he was in good shape during the season, but feels that he hit an even better mark during the Tour.
– After all, it was the right decision for Johaug to reverse the decision and go to the race. He knew and felt that he needed the Games. The pace has improved all the time on the Tour, Aino-Kaisa Saarinen in the Sports Studio.