Bolshunov mows down his opponents, Ustyugov asks for understanding, Stepanova lost

The third stage of the Russian Cup in cross-country skiing started in the Kirov region with a classic sprint. The stage was supposed to take place in Chusovoy, but due to severe frosts, the starts moved to the Kirov region. Sprint is a contact fight, as skiers usually say when describing a rapid distance. And also a cool intrigue. This time it ended like this: Alexander Bolshunov beat Alexander Terentyev, and Veronica Stepanova lost to Alena Baranova.

Recently, Alexander Legkov urged people to believe: there is not a single athlete who would run next to Stepanova or Bolshunov and would not want to overtake them. We believe. We partially saw at the third Russian Cup how this is possible. At the third stage, Veronica Stepanova managed to overtake Veronica Stepanova in a head-to-head debate in the classic sprint. Alena Baranova did this boldly and confidently.

Veronica Stepanova was promised a battle even before the final. Anastasia Faleeva, the leader of the sprint competition, had to confirm her claims to the title of the fastest, two stages remained for her. Yes, and it would be necessary to return Stepanova’s personal “favor”: in the mass start of the last stage, Egor Sorin’s group colleague was ahead of her by some moments.

Only two skiers won at the previous stages of the Russian Cup: Stepanova won all the distance races, and Faleeva won both sprints. True, Veronica missed the sprint at the first stage, and withdrew after qualifying at the second stage. The message was this: I’ll run when I’m ready to win. Explanations followed: Bolshunov wins everything he can, because he is unique, and “I win where I can win, and do not compete in those competitions where I cannot yet win.” Veronica promised that she would continue to do this: choose starts where she could win.

Based on her words, one could draw a conclusion: since she ran at the third stage, it means she felt ready. Faleeva showed the third fastest time in qualifying, Stepanova finished in the top 15.

But the paths of the ski tracks are inscrutable. Nastya fell and rushed to catch up, but this is a sprint, the loss of moments turns into the loss of everything, fifth place. Alena Baranova (daughter of Olympic champion Natalia Baranova) won. Alena also won the qualification, and in the final she beautifully overtook Veronica Stepanova at the finish line. Although, it seemed, there were no more options: Stepanova was the first on the fastest ski track. Now Alena has topped the sprint standings. Bronze award goes to Anastasia Kirillova.

But with Bolshunov the trick of overtaking him at the finish line didn’t work. Alexander Terentyev tried to create a gap before the finish. And the break worked – only for everyone else, and not for Bolshunov. And, having reached the decisive straight line together with Terentyev, the Olympic champion effortlessly found himself ahead. Terentyev didn’t put up much of a fight and lost by more than two seconds.

Seven victories in seven races of the Russian Cup are currently the king of the ski track. And the main impression: somehow he does it all without any strain. Although he says something else.

The final of the sprint through the eyes of Alexander Bolshunov was like this: a showdown on the track, the guys were catching each other with skis and poles. And the main thing was not to fall, not to break the stick. He himself “was lucky in the end, he got on a more rolling track and won.” And when the main rival Alexander Terentyev realized that “he was on a track that was more covered with snow, he gave up fighting, today tactics decided everything,” Bolshunov said on the “On Skis” broadcast. He also emphasized that the forces were “about the same.”

Alexey Chervotkin, who was standing next to him, and he became third in the sprint, could not stand it, although right away. He said, practically looking into Bolshunov’s eyes: he was disingenuous. And he clarified that the one who had more strength left by the end could win. And the one who has more strength left… Well, and so on, you can develop this theme of the hegemon in different words.

Senior coach of the national team Yuri Borodavko also emphasized what Bolshunov explained: tactics decided everything. And Alexander is a good tactician; he managed to beat Terentyev precisely due to his competent route passing. And Alexander Terentyev needs to analyze everything and not make mistakes. He showed good seconds in the prologue and had an advantage, “clearly counting on victory, he was leading the race.” But Alexander Bolshunov taught him a “tactical lesson” and got ahead of him. “You have to learn all this: in a sprint, the one who thinks and sees one step ahead wins.”

The coach also congratulated Alena Baranova on her first victory at this level. As for Stepanova’s loss, the specialist emphasized that Veronica, having not shown herself particularly well in the sprint before, especially in the classic one, is now struggling. “This will be useful to her in the future; in various mass starts with the classic move, sprinting qualities have not been canceled.”

…In Kirov-Chepetsk they were waiting for Sergei Ustyugov. But – alas, until Sergei discovered the Russian Cup this season, he did not perform at any stage. “Attention attention. I ask for your understanding, I will not come to Kirovo-Chepetsk,” the Olympic champion wrote on social networks.

But Yulia Stupak, who, like Ustyugov, trains according to her own plan, confirmed her appearance on the Cup tracks. The Olympic champion will perform at both the third and fourth stages of the Russian Cup. The skier missed the first stage in Verkhina Toya entirely; at the second stage in Tyumen she ran in the classic sprint selection, but withdrew from the semifinals. The third stage of the Russian Cup will be held in Kirovo-Chepetsk from December 14 to 16, and it will be almost immediately followed by the fourth stage – from December 20 to 24. “I’ll start on the 16th, 20th and 24th,” Stupak announced.

Third stage, Kirovo-Chepetsk

Race Schedule

December 16

5 km, classic style, time trial, women (10:00)

10 km, classic style, time trial, men (11:00)