OBERSTDORF (VG) Russian star Alexander Bolshunov (25) thinks there’s a lot to sprint in the Tour de Ski.
Two of the six races during this edition of the Tour de Ski are sprinters. The race winner earns a one-minute lead for those who don’t advance from the introduction in the summary. Bolshunov believes that this is exaggerated.
We need more distance races to have any real chance of catching the lead that sprint specialists get in this way. Anyone who doesn’t move from the front automatically loses one minute. It’s a lot, Bolshunov tells Russia’s Match TV.
During this round, there is only one race with a single start, while there are many shared starts with additional races included along the way. Bolshunov would like more interval starts and more longer runs. The longest distance for men is now 15 kilometres.
– With the exception of the classic running at Lenzerheide, there are only common long-distance starts. There are also additional runners at the beginnings of the joint. So for me it is no longer a “Tour de Ski”. It is a “Tour de Ski Sprint”. The competition on stage is no longer difficult and exciting over several days, says Bolshunov according to Matsj TV – the specialized site Langernn.com He mentioned this too.
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo leads the tour with 45 seconds to Pål Golberg and 47 seconds to Bolshunov after three of six stages.
Bolshunov is not in the habit of speaking to the foreign press without an interpreter. in all He talked a little to the media Except when things are going well.
Bolshunov says he doesn’t understand English, but Sjur Røthe had a conversation with him in the goal area:
Sjur Røthe, who has no chance at sprinting, would not complain that the tour was unfairly planned.
– There were longer races before. This year, there is a short run with six races, two sprints and three joint starts. Needless to say, it was built for the Klæbo with its quick resource and springform. But that’s perfectly fair. Røthe tells VG that it was built for Dario Cologna before.
Iivo Niskanen suggests that the tour should be changed.
– That’s what it is. For me it’s not optimal, but I focus on the Olympics. It was nice to walk Toblach Cortina (35 km) again as before. The show is the show, Niskanen tells VG, but the real sport isn’t in the sprint.
Dedrick Tonseth supports Bolshunov and Niskanin, but does not want to call this unfair either.
– You must agree with them. Sprint for me is one minute in the bag. Dedrick Tonseth says there should be sprinters on the Tour, but I could have imagined some longer races as well.
Emil Iversen thinks this way about criticizing Bolshunov:
-You know it’s going to be hard to beat Johannes this round and it’s an advantage to be good at sprinting, but he has the best distance from time to time too. Iverson says he could have won no matter how I set up the tour.
Pierre Minnieri, FIS race director, is calmly responding to the criticism.
– There has been a greater percentage of sprints, but when you see the list of results, it’s not that the runners are getting ahead and it’s impossible for the distance runners. I don’t quite understand, but I do understand that not everyone is happy anyway. Mignerey says this is normal
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