The magnificent snow-covered grassland of Nalati is the scene of the final big showdown in this year’s China Tour de Ski. Local authorities and Nordic Ways are thrilled to crown the overall winners in the Kazakh minority region in Xinjiang, and have gone out of their way to make this inaugural event an unforgettable experience.
Beautiful as it may be, the Nalati ski course is also challenging for the participants. The 5km distance race features a rather longish ascent and several exciting curves in the following descent. Back in the start/finish area, skiers will also need to negotiate a U-turn. On the final lap, those who want to win will need to place themselves properly before the corner and keep cool to boot. Pulse rates are destined to max out as the skiers approach the finish line.
The scenario of the 2013 China Tour de Ski could have been written by Stephen King. After five stages in Changchun, Xiwuqi and Tianshan Tianchi nothing has been decided in both the men’s as the women’s competition. Finland’s Kusti Kittilae has been leading the overall classification since stage 2 and looked like he had it made with two distance stage victories and a solid Xiwuqi sprint, but then came the Tianshan Tianchi ski sprint yesterday. Kittilae could not do better than eighth place and was forced to watch his main rival Adam Johansson win his second sprint stage from the sidelines. Kittilae is still up 332 against 320 points for Johansson, but the tall Swede is now breathing down his neck and even has a psychological advantage. A quick analysis of the points table shows that Johansson scored 38 points more than Kittilae after the first stage in Changchun. Whereas the Fin battled hard for the podium on that long and bitterly cold day, Johansson let it be and cruised to the finish way down the field. As such, the Swedish king of the sprint may just have a little more fuel left in the tank and if he can limit the damage in tomorrow’s 5km distance race, Kittilae may be in trouble! Another distance race specialist is currently holding on to the third step on the podium, but Bill Impola really needs to watch Johann Eriksson and Jonatan Thoresson in Nalati.
The women’s competition could also be facing a last-minute turnabout. As soon as the skiers arrived in Xinjiang, Julia Jansson has been the best of the pack with two strong stage victories. Her points tally reads 310, only 6 points fewer than overall leader Frida Hallqvist, stage 2 winner in Xiwuqi. Lisa Svensson is still not far behind with 281 points, but probably needs to triumph in the Nalati distance race tomorrow to retain her chances for the overall. Jenni Hoylanen and China’s Chen Shuang and Chi Chunxue could play an important role in the conclusion of the women’s competition.
2013 China Tour de Ski – Standings after 5 stages
Men
1. Kusti Kittilae (FIN) 332 points
2. Adam Johansson (SWE) 320
3. Bill Impola (SWE) 224
4. Johann Eriksson (SWE) 174
5. Jonatan Thoresson (SWE) 172
6. Matthias Jonasson (SWE) 149
7. Oscar Kardin (SWE) 138
8. Drew Goldsack (CAN) 137
9. Emil Johansson (SWE) 128
10.Martin Liljemark (SWE) 127
11.Kjartan Helland (NOR) 122
12.Remi Damevin (FRA) 117
Women
1. Frida Hallqvist (SWE) 316
2. Julia Jansson (SWE) 310
3. Lisa Svensson (SWE) 281
4. Jenni Hoylanen (FIN) 258
5. Chen Shuang (CHN) 245
6. Chi Chunxue (CHN) 234
7. Evelina Bangman (SWE) 195
8. Guo Yuxin (CHN) 134
9. Ma Qinghua (CHN) 128
10. Louise Persson (SWE) 128
The Nalati event arena: ready for the final showdown in China Tour de Ski
Skiers will have to climb this hill in the Nalati distance race
Twisting and turning in the descent back to the arena
Nalati, Xinyuan county in the Kazakh minority region is a station on the Tour for the first time