Who will follow Toblach record winner Marit Björgen?

When the starting signal for the World Cup stage in Toblach is given on Saturday at 10.05:14 a.m. sharp, a great player in international cross-country skiing will be missing. Namely Marit Björgen. The six-time Olympic champion and 75-time world champion is expecting her first child in a few days and is therefore not competing in any races this season. With XNUMX World Cup victories, Björgen is the best cross-country skier of all time. The Norwegian celebrated five of these successes in the Nordic Arena, making her the record winner at the South Tyrolean World Cup event. In January alone she struck twice at the Tour de Ski and thus overtook Justina Kowalczyk in the Toblach tally. The Pole currently has four wins. So she could catch up with her “eternal rival” again at the weekend. However, Kowalczyk is currently struggling with a form crisis.

Sundby is the big hunted one

In the past, Norway has also often set the tone for men in the Nordic Arena. Petter Northug celebrated his third victory in the Pustertal last season. Alexey Poltoranin and Dario Cologna hold on to two successes. However, it is not these three athletes who are the big contenders for victory this year, but primarily Martin Johnsrud Sundby, who has won five of the seven races of the season so far.

Italy's hopes, however, rest on Federico Pellegrino. The sprint winner from Davos is supposed to end the “Azzurri”'s dry spell in Toblach, which has lasted almost six years. Only in 2010, when the World Cup returned to South Tyrol, was Arianna Follis at the top of the podium. In 2012, local hero David Hofer narrowly missed the podium in fourth place in the sprint.

The winner will receive 15.000 Swiss francs

In addition to Pellegrino, the South Tyrolean Roland Clara and Dietmar Nöckler are also part of the Italian squad. They have their sights set on the top ten and thus a place in the prize money. The ten best-placed athletes will be paid a total prize money of 40.000 Swiss francs per race. A large portion of this, namely 15.000 francs, is reserved for the winner.

Cross-country skiing World Cup in the Nordic Arena in Toblach

Saturday, 19th December 2015 10.05:XNUMX a.m.: Qualifications for men's and women's freestyle sprint 12.35 p.m.: Finals in the men's and women's freestyle sprints

Sonntag, 20. Dezember 2015 11.15 a.m.: 15 kilometers classic men 13.30 p.m.: 10 kilometers classic women

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Who will follow Toblach record winner Marit Björgen?

This weekend the Nordic Arena in Toblach is once again the hub of the big cross-country skiing world. There are four World Cup events on the program in Alta Pusteria: two sprint events will take place on the first day of the competition, followed by the two distance races the next day.

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