Results pre-season openers

One week before the first World Cup compeittions, it was time to put the race bibs on again for the tradtitional pre-season openers.

FIS Cup Bruksvallarna, SWE 
20th to 22nd November 2020

With a 10/15km C race, the season got on tracks in midst of a snowy winter wonderland. In absence of Calle Halfvarsson and Jens Burman, Max Novak took his chances for the victory. 7.4 seconds later, runner-up William Poromaa took the second place thanks to scoring time in his final lap and gaining time to third ranked Gustav Eriksson. The womens competition was spiced up by Frida Karlsson and Ebba Andersson who started out as pace setters. Karlsson remained in the lead for 9km but was constantly chased by Andersson who took over the lead and races to victory only 3.2 seconds ahead. A well deserved third rank goes to Emma Ribom.

The first Sprint competition of the season for the Swedish ski team got started with a Classic Sprint on Saturday, 21st November. 
Linn Svahn and Marcus Grate took took a clear lead after the qualifications, but were both facing tough competitions ahead in the heats. With many strong sprinters in the team, each heat had to be tackled with skill and tactics in order to proceed until the finals. The victory in the thrilling womens final was taken by Maja Dahlqvist, before Anna Dyvik and Hanna Falk. In the mens final, Oskar Svensson could defeat his lead, despite being challenged by finally second ranked Calle Halfvarsson and third ranked Marcus Grate.

The race weekend concluded with Sundays 10/15km F competition. Both second ranked from Fridays 10/15km C competition, Frida Karlsson and William Porooma, took revenge and the victory in the final competition before heading towards the World Cup opener. Ebba Andersson finished in second place, 9.9 seconds after Karlsson and in third place, covering one of her best distance competitions of her career, was Maja Dahlqvist. Runner-up in the mens competition was Johan Häggström before Axel Ekström.

Find all results here.

Selections for the World Cup opener at Ruka Nordic (FIN) will be announced on Monday, 23rd November 2020.

FIS Cup Beitostølen, NOR
20th to 22nd November 2020

The traditional "Beitosprint" opened the race weekend for the Norwegian athletes on Friday, 20th November. Norwegians power Sprint duo Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Erik Valnes ruled the mens race. Therefore also the final heat was a showdown in which Klæbo emerged as the winner before Valnes and Haavard Taugboel as third ranked. In a phenomenal final, Lotta Udnes Weng convincingly took the victory on the womens side with a spectacular approach of the last hill. Ane Appelqvist Stenseth and Anna Svendsen took second and third place.

On Saturday, the 10/15km C race awaited with more challenging weather and a layer of fresh snow. The perfect setting for Therese Johaug to set out and builing up the pace. Marie-Helene Fossesholm had set out in her own pace, finding her rhythm and kept going until finishing in second place, 58.9 seconds behind the current World Cup Overall leader. Taking the final spot on the podium was Heidi Weng, 72.9 second to the winner.

A real breakthrough happened at the mens 15km C race when Mikael Gunnulfsen took the victory. 27 year-old member of Team Telemark, left his world-class colleagues behind with a margin of 27.3 seconds. Second placed was Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and third Hans Christer Holund.

At Sunday's 10/15km F the dice were replayed but Therese Johaug kept the victory to herself. Ensuring two clear victories Therese Johaug is ready to get the World Cup season started with a good feeling. 
Heidi Weng improved her game from the previous day and ended 36 seconds behind the leader on second place. Also 19 year-old talent Marie Helene Fossesholm recorded her second podium of the weekend with claiming the third spot.
Calm and controlled, Hans Christer Holund set out for the victory of the mens race. Constantly enlarging his lead, the 31 year-old finished the race with a margin of 21.2 seconds to Harald Østberg Amundsen in second place. A controlled and strong race was also shown of third placed Sjur Røthe who finishes 32 seconds behind Holund.

Find all results here.

FIS Cup Vershina Tea, RUS
21st / 22nd November 2020
In absence of the Russian elite ski team it was time to shine for the talented juniors of the big Russian squad. At the forefront 20 year-old Anastasiya Faleeva made an impressive appearance in Saturdays Sprint C, taking home the victory. Second ranked finishes Alena Baranova before Olga Tsareva. On Sunday's 5km F, it was Veronika Stepanova who took the stage and victory for herself before Viktoria Kalinina and Polina Seronosova.

Find all race results here.

Suomen Cup Vuokatti (FIN)
As an introduction to the upcoming World Cup racing season, the Suomen Cup in Vuokatti took place with a Sprint F and 10/15km F competition. Katri Lylynperä and Joni Mäki took the victory in the Sprint competitions. The mens final was marked by the fall of Lauri Vuorinen who had a clear lead until then. Passed by Mäki and the second and third ranked Verneri Suhonen vor Juho Mikkonen, Vuorinen had no chance to catch up to the ranks.
Also the womens final was deciced due to a fall of Johanna Matintalo who had the clear lead until then. Lylynperä takes the victory before Kerttu Niskanen und Anne Kyllönen.

Kerttu Niskanen continued her podium series the next day with a clear win at the 10km F with a margin of 26 seconds to second ranked Riitta Liisa Roponen. Krista Pärmäkoski concluded the podium on the third rank.
Also Joni Mäki doubled up on his victory from the previous day, winning the 15km F 8 seconds before Perttu Hyvärinen and 13 seconds before third placed Joel Ikonen.