Sotskov Report #2

AUSXC Head Coach Alexei Sotskov reports on the Australian Team racing at the Ruka World Cup in Finland in late November.

What does it take to get to the leading group on World Cup races?  Well, first and most, for the athlete: at least 10 years of dedication, commitment to training and racing. Putting over 600 hours per year of demanding physical exercise per year, sacrifices in social life, lots of travel and financial burden on athletes families and friends. 

But also, if you like to perform at the highest level, competing against the best in the world, there is lots going on behind the scenes. Our new season-long transportation van already put about 3,000 miles on the odometer, travelling from Central Europe to and around Scandinavia. And that's even before the first World Cup!

Ruka is the traditional opening venue of the XC World Cup, just below the Artic Circle. It is also host to World Cups in Aerials and Mogul skiing, and one of the few locations where the XC team crosses paths with Australian athletes from other sports in the Olympic Winter Institute.

Alexei Sotskov (L) with AUSXC team (back left) and assorted OWIA athletes and support staff. Photo by Chris Hocking/OWIA

We had ten XC athletes racing in Ruka, with Phoebe Cridland, Tuva Bygrave, Ellen Soehol Lie and Seve de Campo flying in from Oslo, Rosie Fordham arriving directly from Alaska, and Phil Bellingham, Lars Young Vik, Bentley Walker-Broose and Fedele de Camp and Maddie Hooker driving across from Gallivare in Sweden [see Sotskov report #1]. All raced World Cup last season except for Maddie, who was excited to make her WC debut.

Tuva Bygrave and Maddie Hooker in the Ruka Classic Sprint time trial. Photo by Bildbyran

The best results from the weekend came in the 20km Freestyle on the Sunday. Rosie and Phoebe in particular had good results, finishing 35th and 46th respectively (out of a field of 74). Both were in contention for the top 30 for a long time, skiing in a pack that stretched from 22nd into the 40's. Rosie ended up just 10 seconds outside 25th (15 seconds from 22nd) in a race that took over 50 minutes.

Rosie Fordham after the 20km Freestyle. Photo by Bildbyran.

Lars posted the best Sprint result of 66th (out of 96), 7 seconds outside the top 30 and the finals. Ellen was the fastest woman in the Sprint in 60th, 15 seconds outside top 30. In the 10km Classic Seve was the best man in 75th place, with one of his best ever % of field results. Rosie was the best woman in the 10km in 60th.

Lars Young Vik (91) and Seve de Campo (83) in the 20km Freestyle

It was great to park our team van next to the wax cabins for storage of skis. Most of our WC athletes travel with two ski bags each to cover for different conditions in skate and freestyle, and the wax cabin gets pretty full. Our support team for Ruka included Finnish techs Esko and Anton, coordinated by our head wax tech Toni Escher from Germany.

The next stop is a World Cup weekend in Trondheim, Norway. What do they say? "The show must go on!”

Toni Escher packing the "Colormaker Industries" team van for transit to Trondheim.