Title: Press Release 5th January 2013
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Last saved by: Elena
Company: Microsoft

Press Release 5^th January 2013

PENULTIMATE FIS TOUR DE SKI STAGE IN VAL DI FIEMME (ITALY)
KOWALCZYK AND POLTORANIN SEIZE VICTORY 

Polish Kowalczyk unbeatable today and closer to her 4^th TDS trophy
Poltoranin from Kazakhstan wins ahead of Canadian Valjas and Harvey
Cologna new TDS leader while Northug slips in third position
Final climb tomorrow scheduled on the Alpe Cermis uphill track

Justyna Kowalczyk and Alexej Poltoranin grabbed today’s victory in 6^th FIS Tour de Ski stage in Italy’s Val di Fiemme. The strong Polish skier had no rivals from the beginning to the end of the 10k CT mass start, and closed 33 seconds ahead of Norwegian Kristin Steira, and 39 seconds of Finnish Krista Lahteenmaki.
Therese Johaug gained a good fourth place and she is now in 2nd position in TDS overall ranking, ready to fight the final battle tomorrow on the Alpe Cermis Final Climb. Johaug’s tactics were clearly to save her energies today for tomorrow’s last leg – one of her favourite track where she already showed amazing skills in the past two years. Krista Lahteenmaki from Finland also showed a consistent level of performance throughout the race and grabbed a quite unexpected third place.
The course was fast, despite today’s strong wind and the warm temperatures. The snow was perfectly prepared, a great job that involved all the logistic experts who are guaranteeing an outstanding structure in sight of the upcoming Nordic World Ski Championships.
In the 15k men race, Alexey Poltoranin from Kazakhstan won his second World Cup race in a row, after yesterday’s 5k CT race in Dobbiaco. Canada’s Len Valjas and Alex Harvey came in second and third. Dario Cologna is the new TDS leader, followed by Russia’s Legkov and Petter Northug of Norway. 
During the whole 15k track, many athletes found themselves in the lead. Number one favourite Northug won the first bonus sprint, but afterwards he could no longer keep the leading position. Cologna always stayed close to the head of the race, but did not manage to jump in the front at any stage. 
The second lap was full of ups and downs: first the Swedish Halfvarsson and Richardsson in the lead, followed the Russian Legkov. All of a sudden the Russian team started to push the pedal, with four athletes in the front, namely Legkov, Bessmertnykh, Larkov and Vylegzhanin. Behind them, the German Angerer (TDS winner in 2007) and Poltoranin began their attacking strategy, approaching the top of the race in the 3^rd lap, 3 km before the finish. Legkov grabbed the last bonus sprint, while also Italian 2006 Olympic gold Giorgio Di Centa was approaching from the back of the pack, along with Canadian Valjas and Harvey.
A breathtaking ending was in the air. Poltoranin, Valjas, Harvey, Di Centa, Legkov and Angerer all on the same line ready to fight some fire on the final stretch.
The 25-year old athlete from Kazakhstan eventually sprinted everybody out, followed by Valjas and Harvey. Legkov crossed the finish line in fourth position, but due to a technical misbehavior - he improperly crossed the track along the final stretch - he eventually closed in 17^th place. Two cross-country legends as Di Centa and Angerer managed to finish in 4^th and 5^th position.
As for Cologna, his constant performance is a guarantee for success: 11^th place and the red bib tomorrow on the Cermis climb – unless Russia’s request of claim regarding the accident occurred to Aleksandr Legkov is accepted by the FIS. 
Tomorrow’s Final Climb will start at 11.45am (women) and 2.50pm (men). The Rampa con i Campioni event is scheduled at 10.00am with former sport champions such as Thomas Alsgaard, Odd Bjoerd Hjelmeset, Fulvio Valbusa and Katerina Neumannova, among others.
Info: www.fiemme2013.com 

 Results Men 15 km CT

1 POLTORANIN Alexey KAZ 39:01.5; 2 VALJAS Len CAN  39:01.6; 3 HARVEY Alex CAN  39:01.9; 4 DI CENTA Giorgio ITA  39:02.2; 5 ANGERER Tobias GER 39:02.4; 6 OLSSON Johan SWE 39:04.3; 7 BABIKOV Ivan CAN 39:09.0; 8 DUERR Johannes AUT 39:09.7; 9 BESSMERTNYKH Alexander RUS 39:10.3; 10 NOECKLER Dietmar ITA 39:11.1

Results Ladies 10 km CT

1 KOWALCZYK Justyna POL 28:12.9; 2 STEIRA Kristin Stoermer NOR  28:46.1; 3 LAHTEENMAKI Krista FIN 28:51.9; 4 JOHAUG Therese  NOR  28:54.0; 5 SAARINEN Aino- Kaisa  FIN 29:14.5; 6 WIKEN Emma SWE 29:14.8; 7 WENG Heidi  NOR  29:15.9; 8 NISKANEN Kerttu  FIN 29:16.4; 9 ROPONEN Riitta-Liisa  FIN 29:16.6; 10 HAAG Anna SWE 29:17.1; 

OC. PRESS RELEASE

An accident involving  eight Russian people occurred on the Alpe Cermis slopes, last night.
Six of them died and two were seriously injured and promptly hospitalized in Trento.
The eight Russians were improperly riding a ski-doo with sled along the slope despite the access to the slope was strictly prohibited as every night. Due to the high speed the ski-doo crashed outside the slope. 
The Tour de Ski’s Final Climb cross country track was not involved in the crash.  The accident took place on the first part of the Olimpia II alpine skiing slope.
In respect of the victims, the Fiemme 2013 O.C. decided to cancel today’s side events in Lago di Tesero, and the races will take place in sober and simple way.
Services of public assistance will be guaranteed tomorrow, but there won’t be any music or alcoholic beverages distribution during the Final Climb event. 
The OC also decided to observe a minute of silence before the start of any race, both today and tomorrow.