Angerer, Kuitunen secure Tour de Ski titles

By Published On: January 7th, 2007Comments Off on Angerer, Kuitunen secure Tour de Ski titles

Tobias Angerer of Germany won the men's competition and Virpi Kuitunen of Finland took the women's title Sunday in the inaugural Tour de Ski.

VAL DI FIEMME, Italy — Tobias Angerer of Germany won the men's competition and Virpi Kuitunen of Finland took the women's title Sunday in the inaugural Tour de Ski.
    Both Angerer and Kuitunen posted victories in the final stage of the six-event competition, a 10-kilometer pursuit including a daunting climb up Mount Cermis, which is more often used for downhill skiing.
    Angerer covered the 11-kilometer course in 33 minutes, 39.5 seconds.  
    Alexander Legkov of Russia finished second, 46.3 seconds behind, moving up from his 10th-place starting position. Simen Oestensen of Norway dropped down from second to finish third, 50 seconds behind.
    The men's race was supposed to be 15 kilometers, but skiers requested that it be shortened due to fatigue following a week of racing.
    The Cermis climb that concluded the route was 2.9-kilometers long with gradients as high as 34 percent.
    Angerer began the climb with Oestensen right behind him but then the German went ahead alone and grabbed a German flag to wave as he crossed the finish line.
    In the women's 10-kilometer race, Kuitunen increased her lead before the climb, then eased up slightly with victory assured.
    Marit Bjoergen of Norway finished second, 1 minute, 17.7 seconds behind, and Valentina Shevchenko of Ukraine came third, 1 minute, 20.5 seconds behind Kuitunen.
    Angerer and Kuitunen also each gained 400 points to lead the World Cup rankings.
    The Tour de Ski also had stops in Munich, Germany; Oberstdorf, Germany; and Asiago, Italy.

— The Associated Press


World Cup cross-country results

VAL DI FIEMME, Italy — Results Sunday from a World Cup cross-country ski meet, the sixth leg of the Tour de Ski

Men 11-kilometer pursuit
1. Tobias Angerer, Germany, 33 minutes, 39.5 seconds.
2. Alexander Legkov, Russia, 46.3 seconds behind.
3. Simen Oestensen, Norway, 50.0.
4. Petter Northug, Norway 1:06.6.
5. Tor Arne Hetland, Norway, 1:09.6.
6. Franz Goering, Germany, 1:18.9.
7. Sami Jauhojarvi, Finland, 1:24.4.
8. Eugeni Dementiev, Russia, 1:32.1.
9. Jens Filbrich, Germany, 1:34.1.
10. Nikolai Pankratov, Russia, 1:46.0.

Tour de Ski rankings (after 6 of 6 events)
1. Tobias Angerer, Germany, 3 hours, 29 minutes, 49.7 seconds.
2. Alexander Legkov, Russia, 46.4 seconds behind.
3. Simen Oestensen, Norway, 50.2
4. Petter Northug, Norway, 1:07.0.
5. Tor Arne Hetland, Norway, 1:09.4.
6. Franz Goering, Germany, 1:18.7.
7. Sami Jauhojarvi, Finland, 1:24.3.
8. Eugeni Dementiev, Russia, 1:32.2.
9. Jens Filbrich, Germany, 1:34.8.
10. Nikolai Pankratov, Russia, 1:46.1

World Cup overall rankings
1. Tobias Angerer, Germany, 602 points.
2. Alexander Legkov, Russia, 467.
3. Tor Arne Hetland, Norway, 432.
4. Eldar Roenning, Norway, 388.
5. Eugeni Dementiev, Russia, 261.
6. Simen Oestensen, Norway, 240.
7. Petter Northug, Norway, 231.
8. Sami Jauhojarvi, Finland, 228.
9. Franz Goering, Germany, 220.
10. Jens Filbrich, Germany, 218.

Women 10-kilometer pursuit
1. Virpi Kuitunen, Finland, 36 minutes, 36.7 seconds.
2. Marit Bjoergen, Norway, 1:17.7 behind.
3. Valentina Shevchenko, Ukraine, 1:20.5.
4. Aino Kaisa Saarinen, Finland, 1:22.3.
5. Katerina Neumannova, Czech Republic, 1:24.3.
6. Petra Majdic, Slovenia, 1:51.7.
7. Kristin Stormer Steira, Norway, 1:53.6.
8. Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle, Germany, 1:58.7.
9. Vibeke Skofterud, Norway, 2:24.0.
10. Viola Bauer, Germany, 2:42.1.

Tour de Ski rankings (after 6 of 6 events)
1. Virpi Kuitunen, Finland, 2 hours, 20 minutes, 15.3 seconds.
2. Marit Bjoergen, Norway, 1:17.5 behind.
3. Valentina Shevchenko, Ukraine, 1:20.8.
4. Aino Kaisa Saarinen, Finland, 1:21.8.
5. Katerina Neumannova, Czech Republic, 1:23.8.
6. Petra Majdic, Slovenia, 1:52.0.
7. Kristin Stormer Steira, Norway, 1:53.0.
8. Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle, Germany, 1:58.2.
9. Vibeke Skofterud, Norway, 2:23.7.
10. Viola Bauer, Germany, 2:41.5.

World Cup overall rankings
1. Virpi Kuitunen, Finland, 822 points.
2. Marit Bjoergen, Norway, 634.
3. Petra Majdic, Slovenia, 466.
4. Katerina Neumannova, Czech Republic, 432.
5. Valentina Shevchenko, Ukraine, 399.
6. Aino Kaisa Saarinen, Finland, 388.
7. Vibeke Skofterud, Norway, 262.
8. Riitta Liisa Roponen, Finland, 243.
9. Evi Sachenbacher-Stehle, Germany, 239.
10. Kristin Steira, Norway, 223.

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