Race without a leader: skiers showed a sharp struggle in Bolshunov's absence

The second stage of the Russian Cup ended in Vershina Tei with a 20km mass start speed skating race. Three-time Olympic champion Alexander Bolshunov missed this race, having left Khakassia early to undergo an examination and understand the reasons for his poor form. Without him, the young skiers put up a heated fight for the leader's yellow jersey.

Smirnova's tale

There was no Olympic champion in the start list for the women's race. Natalya Terentyeva is still recovering from the birth of her child, Veronika Stepanova, on the contrary, went on maternity leave, and Yulia Stupak decided to devote this season to her family. Tatyana Sorina remained in the ranks, but her health let her down. According to Elena Vyalbe, the head of FLGR, there was a suspicion of pneumonia, but it turned out to be bronchitis. Winter Games silver medalist Anastasia Kuleshova had problems with her leg at the beginning of the season. Nevertheless, she performed in the closing race and finished near the podium, taking fourth place.

Ekaterina Smirnova took the yellow leader's jersey for the mass start. She had never been lower than second place in distance races before: two golds and one silver. Last season she did not perform so successfully, but if we recall, two years ago she won the distance classification.

At the beginning of the mass start in Vershina Tei, Alina Pekletsova took the lead. She began to sift through the group of competitors with her powerful and unlike the others. As a result, by the middle of the course, a peloton of seven people had already formed. Pekletsova periodically tried to run away from everyone, but she did not have enough uphills on the track, because on the downhills rivals invariably pulled up to light Alina.

The group of leaders began to melt on the last lap. Someone failed to cope with the proposed pace, and Evgeniya Krupitskaya was let down by a fall. A kilometer before the finish it seemed that Pekletsova and Arina Kalicheva, who can be called the main discovery of the start of the season, would win the gold medal. But suddenly Smirnova appeared from behind them and plowed her way to a new victory.

- To be honest, it's a fairy tale," Ekaterina Smirnova rejoiced in the FLGR broadcast. - The third victory in a row (in the distance race), I can't even believe it. It even alarms me. The whole race, then lagged behind, then pulled up. I didn't believe that I would not only win, but that I would be in the prizes at all. But in the end I managed to find the strength. The momentum I have at the finish helped me today. I realized that my breathing was fine and I could speed up. The skis worked perfectly, for which thanks a lot to the service. I thought that Lida Gorbunova would compete, but she was not in our group.

New status

In the men's mass start, the battle for the yellow jersey at the next stage was more intense and went on until the last meters of the course. Ivan Gorbunov was the leader of the overall standings before the race, although he did not win a single race. He took stability, as he always ended up high in the finish lists. Sergey Ardashev was six points behind him in the total and Saveliy Korostelev was 16 points behind him. Saveliy, who was the best in two out of three distance races, was let down by the 15-kilometer skate section at the first stage of the Russian Cup. The skier was knocked out in the last third of the distance and finished only 30th. Bolshunov was fourth in the overall standings, but it is obvious that without participation in the race he was not destined to rise higher.

In contrast to the girls, the men went almost the whole distance in a big dense group. At the beginning, Denis Spitsov, the only Olympic champion for two races, tried to break away, but he was quickly overtaken. The intrigue began after the bonus cut-offs, of which there were two. Savely Korostelev was the first to cross both of them. Then it became clear that who of the trio Korostelev - Gorbunov - Ardashev would be higher in the protocol, the one who would wear the yellow jersey for the next race.

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At the last meters of the distance, all the main contenders for the leadership in the overall standings were in action. Ardashev won this finishing battle, as it was on Monday in the classic sprint. For him, the yellow jersey was a surprise.

- I didn't think I would fight for the victory, because it's a limb, and I'm not very good at mass starts," Ardashev said in the FLGR broadcast. - I didn't get into it until the first bonus cut-off, but then I got the hang of it. I felt great, my skis began to work perfectly by the last laps. I had to take the bonuses, but it wasn't an end in itself, I didn't get nervous. I have such a peculiarity that if I fidget, I can just "pass out" in the middle of the distance and walk. That's why I didn't fidget. The yellow jersey is cool, because I have never run in red, green or yellow jersey.

The third stage of the Cup of Russia will be held in the format of a mini-tour in Chusovy from December 12 to 15. The program includes skate and classic sections at 10 km for women and 15 km for men, as well as freestyle sprints. Sergey Ustyugov, who has already arrived in Chusovoy, should open his season at the third stage. It is not yet known whether Alexander Bolshunov will compete there.