World Cup opens - Newell 8th.

Sun, Oct  29, 2006 - By Pete Vordenberg - TeamToday.org

Andy Newell, on our right) battling Norwegians last season in Drammen

(photo www.competitiveimage.us)

 

Men's results:

1 Roenning
2 Pettersen
3 Hetland
4 Angerer
5 Dahl
6 Wenzl
7 Eigenmann
8 Newell
9 Iversen
10 Pasini
11 Northug

Qualification
1. Pettersen
2. Wenzl
3. Naess
4. Newell

This weekend got off on a questionable start.  In Sweden the team started to get sick and one by one they all managed to get sick.  Staying healthy obviously remains one of our biggest hurdles.  According to Chris Grover Koos and Cook hadn't bounced back quite yet and looked sluggish at half way and even Newell wasn't feeling quite there yet.  He wasn't as sparky or snappy as he has been in training prior to getting sick but he still showed that he is in good shape and ready for the season.  The truth of the matter is we don't know how good a place Newell might have gotten because mid-race Norwegian Peter Northug fell landing completely over Newell's skis causing Newell to go down.  Both Northug and Newell got up and started racing again from a stand still 75m behind the rest and missed any chance at securing a spot in the Norwegian dominated final.

Only 5 years ago we were over joyed with the top 25's that Justin Wadsworth got in the early season world cups and now we are satisfied with an 8th.  It will be a while now until the next world cup and until then the sprinters will spend an entire week making sure they recover fully from their illness (no they will not do the team sprint) before entering an important phase of training.

Congratulations to Roar Lillefjell and Randy Gibbs who waxed for us at this event and to Chris Grover - head sprint coach.  And great fighting to all three of our racers!

Kikkan Randall opted not to travel to Germany and so we did not enter any women.

1. Bjoergen
2. Matveeva
3. Gjoemle
4. Andersson
5. Follis
6. Malvalehto
7. Sachenbacher
8. Nordgren
9. Solli
10 Majdic
11. Rochat