US-Victories at American Birkebeiner and FIS Worldloppet Cup
Two weeks ago the Worldloppet General Secretary announced the American Birkebeiner as replacement for the cancelled Tartu Maraton. The best marathon-skiers travelled to Hayward/Wisconsin for the 43rd edition of the American Birkebeiner, but the two best skiers today are coming from USA: David Norris and Caitlin Gregg. In total around 13.000 skiers made their 51 km long way from Cable to Hayward under stable weahter conditions and on a wet track, but enough snow for a fair and good competition.
In the morning only a few expected to see two US-winners today. The top-favourites of today’s race were definitely the French with the two FIS Worldloppet Cup leaders Bastien Porrier and Aurelie Dabudyk, with Benoit Chauvet and also the Italian winner of 2015’s American Birkebeiner, Sergio Bonaldi and the Worldcup-skiers Freeman and Babikov.
Quite soon in the male race the favourites packed up and built a leading group of around 8 skiers, with them: Bonaldi, Chauvet, Mougel, Porrier, Perrillat Boiteux, Chris Freeman and Ivan Babikov. This group held up a high pace and got rid of the followers already in the beginning of the 51 km. Until 7 km before the finishline they all worked together until Benoit Chauvet tried luck, attacked the group and opened a gap, but Norris closed it soon and so him, Chauvet, Perrillat, Mougel, Pralong, Wibault and Bonaldi entered the last kilometer together. Only Cauvet and Perrillat were able to follow the high speed of Norris to the finish lane on the main street in Hayward but in the end had no chance against the US-skier.
Bastien Porrier the previous Cup leader was able to follow the leading group until the last 10 km and then lost the touch, he stated:
“40 km long I was feeling very good but then, for the last 10 k I was broken and it was difficult to finish. I still feel the jetlag, I am tired.”
In the ladies race we saw a different picture compared to the previous FIS Worldloppet Cup races in which Aurelie Dabudyk, the FIS Worldloppet Cup leader, always was a class for herself. Today she had very strong company. Until the last kilometers she worked together with five other skiers, only on the lake, the last part of the race, she and Gregg Caitlin attacked and opened a gap. Erika Flowers, who felt strong enough to hold their speed unfortunately skied at the end of the group and was not fast enough to follow the attack. So Dabudyk and Gregg came over the bridge 400m before the finishline together and then Gregg turned on the turbo, no chance for Dabudyk this time. Flowers then was strong enough to sprint to the 3rd place against Brocard.
Aurelie Dabudyk and Ivan Perrillat Boiteux are now the new FIS Worldloppet Cup leaders at least until the Engadin Skimarathon in Switzerland in two weeks – the 6th FIS Worldloppet Cup stage.
BACK
