Nordic Tour: Swiss favourites win first sprint
Posted on | June 1, 2013 | Category: News
From left: Tove Alexandersson, Sweden, Simone Niggli, Switzerland, Lina Strand, Sweden, Ida Bobach, Denmark, Tatyana Ryabkina, Russia, Emma Klingenberg, Denmark. On the left the Minister of Health Jonas Gahr Støre and main organiser and former many times world champion in ski orienteering Vidar Benjaminsen. Photo: Erik Borg
Twenty seconds and sixteen seconds: convincing victories for respectively Simone Niggli and Matthias Kyburz, the pre-race favourites for today’s sprint in Oslo, the first race of this year’s Nordic Tour and the fourth race of the World Cup series.
The closest challenger to Simone was the young Swede Tove Alexandersson, who herself had a lead of 28 seconds over joint third-placers Ida Bobach, Denmark and Lina Strand, Sweden.
The men’s race was closer, with three Swiss athletes up in the top six in the results. Daniel Hubmann, hoping for an injury-free summer and clearly back in form, was second and Matthias Merz took fifth place. The steadily improving Dane Tue Lassen was third, 4 seconds down on Hubmann. Two unfamiliar names achieving podium placings were Chris Smithard, Great Britain (fourth) and Rasmus Thrane Hansen, Denmark (sixth).
The race took place in a mix of forest and urban terrain, requiring rapidly changing technique.
Tomorrow a middle distance race will be held in the Oslo area, then the Nordic Tour continues in Sweden on Tuesday (knock-out sprint) and in Finland on Friday (sprint) and Saturday (long distance, chasing start).
Leading results
Women
- Simone Niggli SUI 13:45
- Tove Alexandersson SWE 14:05
- Ida Bobach DEN and Lina Strand SWE 14:33
- Tatyana Riabkina RUS 14:34
- Emma Klingenberg DEN 14:39
Men
- Matthias Kyburz SUI 14:39
- Daniel Hubmann SUI 14:55
- Tue Lassen DEN 14:59
- Chris Smithard GBR 15:04
- Matthias Merz SUI 15:05
- Rasmus Thrane Hansen DEN 15:06
|| Print page ||
Search
IOF Main Sponsor
IOF Sponsors
World Championships
Other Upcoming Events
IOF Partners
RSS