Preview of Stages 1 and 2: Nove Mesto
Tour de Ski
Thu, Dec 27, 2007 - By Tour de Ski
Nove Mesto in the Chez Republic hosts four of the eight Tour de Ski stages this year. Only scheduled for two stages, Nove Mesto picked up a couple more at the last minute when the German Ski Association decided did not host the two Stages of the Tour planned for Oberstdorf.
The town
Nove Mesto na Morave (600m above the sea level) is located about 170 km southeast of Prague in the middle of the Czech Republic.
Nove Mesto na Morave, with approx. 10,500 inhabitants, is the most famous winter sports resort on the Böhmisch-Mährischen plateau. The tradition of skiing there is more than a hundred years old. The "Zlata lyze Ceskomoravske vysociny" (or the Golden Ski of the Böhmisch-Mährischen Plateau) has taken place since 1934, and it has been part of the FIS World Cup Cross-Country since 1981. The ski resort by the Ski hotel is also the starting point for amateur skiers who can select between three tracks of various lengths.
Thanks to the slightly undulating terrain, a clean environment and a dense network of well-kept biking and leisure routes nearby, the town of Nove Mesto na Morave is also a sought-after center of tourism.
The skiing
The skiing activities are concentrated in the northwest of Nové Mesto, about 5 km from the center, specifically the ski resort by the SKI Hotel. This is the starting point of a well-known Cross-Country skiing trails in the area of the Ochoz forest. Nove Mesto also offers homologated courses ranging in distance from 1.2 km, 1.4 km, 2.5 km (2x), 5 km (2x) to 7.5 km (2x), all with a width of 9 meters. The stadium has a capacity of 12,000 spectators and there is also the ability to make artificial snow.
The improvement of the area continues with a big investment with the participation of the Czech government, Vysocina Region and Nové Mesto na Morave, which was started in September 2005. A large biathlon competition area should be completed in a few years.
Race Stages 1 and 2
| Stage | Race | Start Time* | Technique | Start Method | Course |
| Stage One | Prologue Women 3km Men 4.5km | 12:00 CET W 14:00 CET M | Classical | Individual | 3.3km W 4.5km M |
| Stage Two | Pursuit Women 10km Men 15km | 14:00 CET W 15:00 CET M | Free | 'Handicap' | 3x3.3km W 5x3.3km M |
| Course maps (click for larger image) | |
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| 3.3km course | 4.5km course |
Live webcam image of Nove Mesto cross country ski arena
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