Men’s 10 km skiing is a tactical game – speed distribution plays a big role

Men’s skiing’s new standard distance of 10 kilometers was increased at the World Cup on Saturday in Kuusamo.

Iltalehti’s skiing expert Reijo Jylhä says that the tenth race is a clearly more tactical start than fifteen kilometers.

– You have to know the right kind of speed distribution. For example, the Swedes started too hard, and Johannes Kläbo made a huge difference to the others in the last two kilometers. When the margins are smaller and we are fighting for seconds, then tactical thinking is emphasized, Jylhä comments.

Kläbo’s winning time was 21:46.1.

– A fast race, when the average speed in the traditional style is about 30 kilometers per hour. It’s such a speed that an ordinary person can’t do the same even on a bicycle on flat terrain, the expert says.

He praises the 12th place Perttu from Hyväribut wonders if there could have been more on offer with a different speed distribution.

– Perttu was 9.4 seconds behind the leader at the 1.1 kilometer intermediate point.

Big surprise

Hyvärinen did not worry, but was satisfied with his performance.

– I don’t know how it was possible to ski so well. There was nothing ready-made before Saturday, Hyvärinen stated.

He was weak the other weekend in the cannonball competition in Olos. After that, the training was lightened up and Savolainen said that he was working out with the poles on the Pallas hill.

– Last year I expected much more at Ruka and got a bad result. Now I didn’t expect anything, but the result was clearly better, said the man who finished in 28th place in Kuusamo’s 15 kilometers last season.

He liked the change of race distance.

– It’s nice that I didn’t have to riot for so long. It wouldn’t have changed the power relations, even if the 5 kilometer course had been skied a lap longer.

Boys are still boys

From those who won youth World Cup medals last season From Arsi Ruuskas (U23 gold) and From Niko Anttola (U20 silver) we expected tough bets in Koillismaa.

Anttola was 38th (+1.29.9) and Ruuskanen 41st (1.32.9).

Anttola’s skiing could be characterized as satisfactory.

– There were many different stages. Quite a performance, he said.

The native of Tornia started quite leisurely, as he was in 75th place at the 3.1 kilometer intermediate point.

– I took one fart and it was a little too quiet. I got up to speed well after the first three kilometers.

His main goal this season is to succeed in the World Championships of his age group (b. 2003).

– These men’s competitions are tough. The group skis damn hard.

Much more was expected from Ruuskas than place 41.

– Getting sick after the training camp in Val Senales took the best edge out of me, so there are quite a few intensive exercises below. The performance has been eaten, and in such slippery weather you should have been hammering all the time, Ruuskanen characterized.

– Quite a good bet considering the starting points, he continued.

Expert Reijo Jylhä a comprehensive analysis of Saturday’s events can be viewed in its entirety in the attached video.