Courses: Ladies – 3.1km/Men 4.0 km
Intermediate Point: 1.7 km
Bonus Seconds: 15‘‘, 10‘‘, 5‘‘ (only in the finish for top three) 

Special Remarks to the competition and Athletes

• 76 trucks brought fresh snow to the Cross-Country stadium yesterday evening

• Courses were covered with 70 cm thick layer of snow before Christmas but 40 cm melted away

• LOC produced enough artificial snow before Christmas to secure the opening stages of the FIS Tour de Ski

• Sami Jauhojaervi (FIN) withdrew from the Tour for family reasons

• Marit Bjoergen (NOR) has been cleared to compete again and will

  return to World Cup circuit in Liberec (CZE)

• Anders Soedergren (SWE) skips Tour de Ski due to sickness. Axel

  Teichmann (GER) is back in competing after having been forced to leave Canada for health reasons

  FIS Cross-Country Race Director Pierre Mignerey

  We are happy to be back in Oberhof for the Tour de Ski kick off. The OC did a great job to secure the best possible conditions for all the athletes. Today we had fast conditions on the competition course with sharp curves and corners that will test all the athletes. I am excited to see who will challenge Justyna Kowalczyk and Dario Cologna for the Overall FIS Tour de Ski victory. 

Athlete and Coach quotes:

Dario Cologna (SUI)

I am happy the Tour de Ski starts again. It is the first highlight of the season and it was not difficult to get motivated. First stages are not crucial for the overall result on the Tour but it is good for the had to start well. The prologue is longer than a sprint and there is not so much space for tactics but still you have to think not run out of power towards the end.

Justyna Kowalczyk (POL)

After the busy competition schedule in Canada I enjoyed 10 days at home in Poland without snow. I look forward to the Tour. It is a pity Marit Bjoergen (NOR) cannot compete. I hope she will be back soon.

Petter Northug (NOR)

The goal is to find a good flow in the prologue and speed towards the end. It has worked for me in previous years and I hope it will also be the case tomorrow.

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