Yet another new experience when it comes to Ski-O. This time a little more intense! Sprint prologue. Chasing start. Live TV. Internet broadcasting. Spectators. Swedish Champs.
No pressure then!
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| Sprint prologue |
Before the sprint prologue I was feeling incredibly nervous. I desperately wanted a good race, but with my skiing skills, so much depends on the snow condition and number of contours!
I started conservatively and then after control 2 increased my speed and aggression. Come the end of the course I felt really good and was navigating well. Not only that but I felt faster than normal on ski's.
My time was 40% of the winner - 14.56 (me), 10.36 (winner). So I was a happy Penguin for the rest of the afternoon (albeit a little disappointed with last place, but 40% is a new record for me).
After an early night, and one of very disturbed sleep, we were up at 0630 for the chasing start. As part of the Swedish Champs week, Ski-O had managed to get a chasing start format in which would be televised live and broadcast on the internet. The schedule for Sunday was busy so the first start was at 0835, just a little after dawn.
Only those 3 mins behind the winner of the prologue would be in the chase. Everyone else was in a mass start at 0838. A compact start interval. Naturally I was in the mass start so had the added pressure of being head to head.
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| Part 1 |
The first part of the course was fairly good. Uphill and tiring, but I was insight of the others until control 2. Through the technical section I was clean and choosing the shortest route. Control 6 was my only error of the race, where I forgot the green hatching means pisted area and didn't see the direct route choice. Instead I climbed the hill and then came to the control from the wrong angle. I messed up the descent on both loops by not crossing to the left side and getting on the slightly shorter track.
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| Part 2 |
After the map change we had a long leg up to the top again, so I chose a route I knew from before and headed back up the hill. After the descent to control 11 it was back up the massive hill to the top of the ski jumping hill, before a final hair raising descent to the finish. The climb up was ok, I took the left route choice rather than the straighter steeper option, which was the faster option for most skiers. Given the gradient of the steep climb, most people who went this way lost time compared to slower skiers going left. Needless to say the descent to the finish consisted of a very wide snow plough and small screams in the sharp corners! But it was another sub-50% today, with 45% behind the winners time. Additionally I was only 11 mins behind and just off the back of the pack, so when the conditions are good, I can put in some good speed on ski's (for me!)
