08:59
French want medal
Like in Pyeongchang and Sochi, the French want to get a relay medal again today. Hugo Lapalus gives everything and overtakes Moch. William Poromaa has now moved the Swedes up to third and is six seconds ahead of Moch. Strong race of the Swede!
08:56
field mixes up
Hugo Lapalus and the only 21-year-old William Poromaa are fast. The two overtake de Fabiani and are now behind Moch. So the field is shifting, it remains exciting.
08:52
Completed 16.6 kilometers
Bolshunov is almost 45 seconds ahead of Golberg. Moch continues to run a strong race, even though the gap to the front will soon be a minute. Switzerland had to let Iivo Niskanen pass.
08:50
distances almost the same
Did Pål Golberg start his race too fast? He now loses seconds. Moch and de Fabiani get closer to him again. The duo’s distance to the second chasing group also remains the same. Meanwhile, the Finn Iivo Niskanen is running a very strong race in a hopeless position and could soon catch up with Jonas Baumann.
08:45
Big lead
Bolshunov’s lead is steadily increasing slightly, with Moch and de Fabiani in third and fourth, 52 seconds back. France and Sweden are in danger from behind. Jonas Baumann has to be demolished.
08:42
Bolshunov remains sovereign
Francesco De Fabiani and young Friedrich Moch continue to run together, but Pål Golberg jumps away from them. ROC leads Norway by 37.8 seconds. Switzerland is in a group with France and Sweden, a good minute behind Bolshunov.
08:37
Duo becomes trio
Pål Golberg has caught up the ten seconds, Bolshunov’s chasing group is now a trio. 35 seconds behind is the gap to the athletes of the Russian Olympic team.
08:34
Finland already without a chance
The Finns already have no more chances for the medals with a gap of almost two minutes. This is a disappointment for the cross country nation. Switzerland has fought its way up to seventh place.
08:31
First change
And so we are already at the first change. Chervotkin showed a very strong performance and Alexander Bolshunov left the track with a lead of 23.5 seconds. Janosch Brugger changes as second! A very strong race by the German! The Italians change almost at the same time as the German team. Norway lost their feathers, they are now ten seconds behind the German-Italian duo.
08:28
Also Jouve with problems
France’s Richard Jouve and Norway’s Emil Iversen are also struggling as Pellegrino picked up the pace of the chasing group.
08:26
Svensson can be demolished
In the chasing group, the Swede Svensson is finding it difficult to keep up the pace. Chervotkin is now more than half a minute ahead of the competition. Is that already the preliminary decision so early in the race?
08:23
Brugger is doing well
Janosch Brugger has done a good race so far and is in the chasing group with France, Norway, Sweden and Italy. Switzerland with the experienced Dario Cologna is in eighth place. The Finns are even one place behind and are almost 47 seconds behind. Ristomatti Hakola is weakening.
08:17
lead is growing
The lead for the top favorite ROC is growing and is now around 20 seconds. The chasing group now consists of five cross-country skiers, the Germans are also there. Switzerland can no longer be found in this group.
08:14
Chervotkin tries
Chervotkin, looking strong, tries to make the first attack and jump away. He can walk a few meters between himself and the pursuer. Brugger is twelve seconds behind in second place, followed by the Norwegians. Switzerland is already 25 seconds behind.
08:11
First round completed
The first round of 3.3 kilometers has been completed. The gaps are small, Chervotkin is still at the top.
08:09
Chervotkin leads race
Alexey Chervotkin picks up the pace and slightly rips the field apart, but most relays can follow him. Janosch Brugger is currently third, the Swiss are eighth.
08:06
Don’t go too fast
The field is still together after one kilometer. On the difficult course it is important to find your own rhythm and not to go too fast.
08:02
Germany at the forefront
Norway, ROC and Germany lead the field and play the snowplough for the teams behind.
08:00
kickoff
It starts! Fifteen squadrons go in search of the medals. The conditions are difficult, it’s snowing in the freezing cold. The route is also considered to be very demanding.
07:53
4×10 kilometers
The competition is about to start. Each of the four athletes has to complete ten kilometers. The first two cross-country skiers will complete their ten kilometers in the classic style, followed by two sets of ten kilometers in the freestyle technique.
07:47
The Swiss
Dario Cologna, Jonas Baumann, Candide Pralong and anchor Roman Furger will be on the track for Switzerland. They too will try to keep up with the front runners for as long as possible.
07:41
The DSV team
Coach Peter Schlickenrieder has nominated Janosch Brugger, Friedrich Moch, Florian Notz and Lucas Bögl as the final runners for the relay. The Germans are the clear outsiders, a medal is not to be expected. Nonetheless, they will try to put in a great race and get a good placement. The Germans should be inspired by the women’s silver coup – will the men achieve a similar sensation? A place in the top six would already be a success.
07:37
favorite question
Norway and Finland got nothing in the women’s cross-country relay yesterday – that shouldn’t happen today under any circumstances. The Norwegians will fight for the medals with the formation Emil Iversen, Pål Golberg, Hans Christer Holund and high-flyer Johannes Høsflot Klæbo. However, with the exception of Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, the Norwegians have disappointed in the last few races. Let’s see what they are capable of today. Another top favorite is the Russian Olympic Committee team with Alexey Chervotkin, Alexander Bolshunov, Denis Spitsov and anchor Sergey Ustiugov. The Swedes and the team from France should not be underestimated either.
07:30
Warm welcome!
Welcome to Zhangjiakou. The next medal decision will be made here today in men’s cross-country skiing. The cross-country relay race begins at 8 a.m. We are excited to see who will win the medals!