Kowalczyk, Cologna become three-time Tour de Ski winners
Poland’s athlete of the year Justyna Kowalczyk and the Swiss Olympic Champion Dario Cologna became winners of the 2012 Tour de Ski today (Jan. 8) in Val di Fiemme, Italy. It was the third Tour win for both of them in the event the tests cross country skiers with nine legs of racing through Germany and Italy in 11 days.
In the women’s race Kowalczyk took the victory in a tough fight with Marit Bjoergen and finished 28.2 seconds ahead of the Norwegian star. Fellow Norwegian Therese Johaug finished third.
“I was really tired today, the last kilometres were really tough,” said Kowalczyk of the final hill climb leg in Val di Fiemme today. “My only thought the last kilometre was I need to go, I need to go, especially with all the Polish fans out there.”
America Kikkan Randall finished 10th in her second Tour de Ski appearance after landing on the podium in two of the tour legs. She finished 21st last year.
In the men’s side, Cologna never faltered and finished 1:02 min ahead of Swede Marcus Hellner who overtook third-place finisher Petter Northug of Norway during today’s intense uphill race attended by 30,000 cheering fans.
“It’s always nice to win Tour de Ski. The first time was maybe a surprise, not only to me but to others as well. It was special, but I am happy that I’ve been this good the past 10 days, everything was perfect.” said Cologna. “The tour is special, you need to have nine good races and recover very well. I think Petter has all it takes to win the tour, so maybe next year.”
Canadian Devon Kershaw just missed the podium in fourth place for his best result in his fourth Tour de Ski appearance.
The best team was Norway during the Tour de Ski – they were awarded with a special team trophy.
Image by Gepa
Men’s Final Standings
| Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Time |
| 1 | 3510023 | COLOGNA Dario | 1986 | SUI | 4:33:17.2 | |
| 2 | 3500139 | HELLNER Marcus | 1985 | SWE | 4:34:19.5 | |
| 3 | 3420239 | NORTHUG Petter jr. | 1986 | NOR | 4:35:01.8 | |
| 4 | 3100006 | KERSHAW Devon | 1982 | CAN | 4:35:26.6 | |
| 5 | 3480016 | LEGKOV Alexander | 1983 | RUS | 4:36:16.3 | |
| 6 | 1217350 | BAUER Lukas | 1977 | CZE | 4:36:39.5 | |
| 7 | 3190111 | MANIFICAT Maurice | 1986 | FRA | 4:37:00.9 | |
| 8 | 3480013 | VYLEGZHANIN Maxim | 1982 | RUS | 4:37:29.6 | |
| 9 | 3150069 | JAKS Martin | 1986 | CZE | 4:37:37.4 | |
| 10 | 3480314 | CHERNOUSOV Ilia | 1986 | RUS | 4:37:46.3 | |
| 11 | 1178162 | ANGERER Tobias | 1977 | GER | 4:37:51.9 | |
| 12 | 3100110 | HARVEY Alex | 1988 | CAN | 4:38:02.3 | |
| 13 | 1221036 | FILBRICH Jens | 1979 | GER | 4:38:07.0 | |
| 14 | 3480317 | TURYSHEV Sergey | 1985 | RUS | 4:38:30.9 | |
| 15 | 1067291 | DI CENTA Giorgio | 1972 | ITA | 4:38:43.3 | |
| 16 | 3420577 | DYRHAUG Niklas | 1987 | NOR | 4:39:03.5 | |
| 17 | 3200229 | TSCHARNKE Tim | 1989 | GER | 4:39:22.9 | |
| 18 | 3480828 | JAPAROV Dmitriy | 1986 | RUS | 4:39:31.4 | |
| 19 | 3290016 | CLARA Roland | 1982 | ITA | 4:39:44.6 | |
| 20 | 1298054 | PASINI Fabio | 1980 | ITA | 4:40:04.1 | |
| 21 | 1297957 | MORIGGL Thomas | 1981 | ITA | 4:41:39.7 | |
| 22 | 3420036 | ROENNING Eldar | 1982 | NOR | 4:41:58.9 | |
| 23 | 3190029 | DUVILLARD Robin | 1983 | FRA | 4:42:05.4 | |
| 24 | 3180053 | HEIKKINEN Matti | 1983 | FIN | 4:42:47.6 | |
| 25 | 3480695 | BESSMERTNYKH Alexander | 1986 | RUS | 4:42:55.1 | |
| 26 | 3420605 | ROETHE Sjur | 1988 | NOR | 4:43:12.1 | |
| 27 | 3100190 | BABIKOV Ivan | 1980 | CAN | 4:43:20.8 | |
| 28 | 3180054 | NOUSIAINEN Ville | 1983 | FIN | 4:43:39.8 | |
| 29 | 3200241 | BING Thomas | 1990 | GER | 4:43:52.7 | |
| 30 | 3500141 | NELSON Lars | 1985 | SWE | 4:43:54.3 | |
| 31 | 1125588 | DOLIDOVICH Sergei | 1973 | BLR | 4:43:56.2 | |
| 32 | 3670022 | VELICHKO Yevgeniy | 1987 | KAZ | 4:44:08.1 | |
| 33 | 1344711 | JAUHOJAERVI Sami | 1981 | FIN | 4:44:12.4 | |
| 34 | 3290007 | HOFER David | 1983 | ITA | 4:44:22.8 | |
| 35 | 1362947 | PERL Curdin | 1984 | SUI | 4:44:56.4 | |
| 36 | 3300190 | YOSHIDA Keishin | 1987 | JPN | 4:45:18.1 | |
| 37 | 1286608 | PERRILLAT Christophe | 1979 | FRA | 4:45:19.2 | |
| 38 | 3500755 | JONSSON Fredrik | 1990 | SWE | 4:45:26.4 | |
| 39 | 1221327 | TEICHMANN Axel | 1979 | GER | 4:45:49.5 | |
| 40 | 1106867 | BAJCICAK Martin | 1976 | SVK | 4:46:00.2 | |
| 41 | 3500259 | JOENSSON Emil | 1985 | SWE | 4:46:20.3 | |
| 42 | 1323468 | REHEMAA Aivar | 1982 | EST | 4:46:47.2 | |
| 43 | 1285347 | FREEMAN Kris | 1980 | USA | 4:47:39.1 | |
| 44 | 3180301 | LEHTONEN Lari | 1987 | FIN | 4:48:07.8 | |
| 45 | 3670000 | CHEBOTKO Nikolay | 1982 | KAZ | 4:48:23.3 | |
| 46 | 3200121 | KUEHNE Andy | 1987 | GER | 4:48:35.2 | |
| 47 | 3180408 | LUUSUA Ari | 1988 | FIN | 4:48:56.4 | |
| 48 | 3290245 | NOECKLER Dietmar | 1988 | ITA | 4:50:04.2 | |
| 49 | 3660065 | SEMENOV Michail | 1986 | BLR | 4:50:13.7 | |
| 50 | 3670017 | MATVIYENKO Gennadiy | 1988 | KAZ | 4:51:02.1 | |
| 51 | 3660013 | LASUTKIN Alexander | 1983 | BLR | 4:52:10.7 | |
| 52 | 3220002 | MUSGRAVE Andrew | 1990 | GBR | 4:53:09.5 | |
| 53 | 3670032 | AKHMADIYEV Yerdos | 1985 | KAZ | 4:53:31.4 | |
| 54 | 3390034 | KARP Algo | 1985 | EST | 4:55:11.0 | |
| 55 | 3690023 | SHVIDKIY Oleksiy | 1986 | UKR | 5:01:39.1 |
Women’s Final Standings
| Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Time |
| 1 | 3435001 | KOWALCZYK Justyna | 1983 | POL | 2:52:45.0 | |
| 2 | 1303777 | BJOERGEN Marit | 1980 | NOR | 2:53:13.2 | |
| 3 | 3425301 | JOHAUG Therese | 1988 | NOR | 2:56:42.8 | |
| 4 | 3185256 | LAHTEENMAKI Krista | 1990 | FIN | 2:59:33.6 | |
| 5 | 3425349 | KRISTOFFERSEN Marthe | 1989 | NOR | 2:59:40.1 | |
| 6 | 1247226 | ZELLER Katrin | 1979 | GER | 2:59:54.7 | |
| 7 | 3505217 | KALLA Charlotte | 1987 | SWE | 3:00:46.2 | |
| 8 | 3425183 | JACOBSEN Astrid Uhrenholdt | 1987 | NOR | 3:01:17.7 | |
| 9 | 1255665 | SAARINEN Aino- Kaisa | 1979 | FIN | 3:01:19.2 | |
| 10 | 1365857 | RANDALL Kikkan | 1982 | USA | 3:01:40.8 | |
| 11 | 1255374 | ROPONEN Riitta-Liisa | 1978 | FIN | 3:02:18.9 | |
| 12 | 1274580 | ISHIDA Masako | 1980 | JPN | 3:02:24.9 | |
| 13 | 3485198 | IVANOVA Julia | 1985 | RUS | 3:04:26.1 | |
| 14 | 1142563 | SHEVCHENKO Valentina | 1975 | UKR | 3:04:39.6 | |
| 15 | 3425410 | OESTBERG Ingvild Flugstad | 1990 | NOR | 3:04:45.7 | |
| 16 | 3185168 | NISKANEN Kerttu | 1988 | FIN | 3:04:51.1 | |
| 17 | 3295088 | DE MARTIN TOPRANIN Virginia | 1987 | ITA | 3:05:02.2 | |
| 18 | 3155041 | NYVLTOVA Eva | 1986 | CZE | 3:05:05.5 | |
| 19 | 3485510 | MEDVEDEVA Polina | 1989 | RUS | 3:05:06.5 | |
| 20 | 3185114 | AHERVO Laura | 1984 | FIN | 3:05:19.4 | |
| 21 | 3185137 | KYLLOENEN Anne | 1987 | FIN | 3:05:26.3 | |
| 22 | 3195040 | FAIVRE PICON Anouk | 1986 | FRA | 3:05:27.5 | |
| 23 | 3295000 | BROCARD Elisa | 1984 | ITA | 3:05:27.7 | |
| 24 | 3535261 | STEPHEN Elizabeth | 1987 | USA | 3:05:43.8 | |
| 25 | 1373617 | FESSEL Nicole | 1983 | GER | 3:05:47.7 | |
| 26 | 1319976 | KOLOMINA Yelena | 1981 | KAZ | 3:06:58.3 | |
| 27 | 3505003 | RYDQVIST Maria | 1983 | SWE | 3:07:17.6 | |
| 28 | 3505090 | INGEMARSDOTTER Ida | 1985 | SWE | 3:07:21.4 | |
| 29 | 3295141 | AGREITER Debora | 1991 | ITA | 3:07:24.4 | |
| 30 | 3485342 | DOTSENKO Anastasia | 1986 | RUS | 3:07:43.7 | |
| 31 | 3195056 | JEAN Aurore | 1985 | FRA | 3:07:51.1 | |
| 32 | 3485197 | TIKHONOVA Julia | 1986 | RUS | 3:07:56.2 | |
| 33 | 3055066 | SMUTNA Katerina | 1983 | AUT | 3:08:19.3 | |
| 34 | 3485203 | SHAIDUROVA Larisa | 1987 | RUS | 3:08:21.2 | |
| 35 | 3565014 | JEZERSEK Barbara | 1986 | SLO | 3:08:29.6 | |
| 36 | 3485042 | IKSANOVA Alija | 1984 | RUS | 3:10:08.4 | |
| 37 | 3195059 | BARTHELEMY Laure | 1988 | FRA | 3:10:50.5 | |
| 38 | 3485498 | GUSCHINA Mariya | 1989 | RUS | 3:12:10.1 | |
| 39 | 3535142 | BROOKS Holly | 1982 | USA | 3:12:13.5 | |
| 40 | 3155008 | JANECKOVA Ivana | 1984 | CZE | 3:12:28.3 | |
| 41 | 3505497 | LARSEN Lisa | 1990 | SWE | 3:12:37.4 | |
| 42 | 3675018 | MATROSSOVA Marina | 1990 | KAZ | 3:12:41.2 | |
| 43 | 3675007 | OSSIPOVA Tatyana | 1987 | KAZ | 3:12:44.6 | |
| 44 | 3695016 | ANTSYBOR Maryna | 1987 | UKR | 3:12:50.3 | |
| 45 | 3195010 | HUGUE Coraline | 1984 | FRA | 3:13:18.2 | |
| 46 | 1181848 | YATSKAYA Oxana | 1978 | KAZ | 3:15:52.9 |
About the Author: Eric Williams
