Tour de Ski - 8 days to the start

Thu, Dec  23, 2010 - By Sandra Spitz

The fifth edition of the Viessmann FIS Tour de Ski performance by Craft Sportswear will kick off in just 8 days, on New Year's Eve 2010. 10 days, 8 races, 4 venues in 2 countries - that will be the Tour de Ski 2010/2011.

The start will be in Oberhof (GER) on 31st December with the prologue in free technique followed by a handicap start race over 10 km (ladies) and 15 km (men) in classical technique. The program of the 2011 FIS Tour de Ski will continue on 2nd and 3rd of January in Oberstdorf with a classical sprint on Sunday and a short pursuit race (ladies 5+5 km; men 10+10km). Oberstdorf, the 2005 FIS Nordic World Ski Championships) venue, last hosted the Tour during the first edition in 2006/2007.

After four intensive competitions days the athletes will enjoy a well-deserved rest day on 4th January. In Toblach, the racers will then face the challenge of a free technique sprint on 5th January before the second edition of the A to B stage from Cortina d'Ampezzo to Toblach on the schedule on 6th January. The men will be racing about 35 km in free technique. Based on the experience last year, the ladies will start in the stadium of Toblach and race a 5 km lap three times. After the second rest day, the Tour will conclude in the Valley of Fiemme, the host of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in 1991, 2003 and 2013. On 8th January 2010, a mass start race over 10 km (ladies) and 20 km (men) in classical technique will be carried out. The last stage on 10th January, the already famous ‘Final Climb,' will start in the Cross-Country Stadium of Lago di Tesero and end on Alpe Cermis, with the last climb stretching over 3.7 km with an altitude climb of 425m. Both genders will race the same course in free technique.

The snow conditions are promising everywhere. All venues have had a short warm period, but thanks to cold weather at the beginning of December, all have enough snow to prepare the courses well. With the onset of the Holiday season, the weather is forecast to change toward colder temperatures. The fifth edition of the Viessmann FIS Tour de Ski performance by Craft Sportswear can begin: We are ready - we hope to have you join us on the Tour 2010/2011!

For more information, visit www.fiscrosscountry.com