Val di Fiemme kicks off 2021 Nordic Combined events

The Nordic Combined World Cup is finally back in action after a three-week break due to the holidays and the Covid-19 related cancellations of Otepää (EST) and Chaux-Neuve (FRA) in early January.

But with Val di Fiemme (ITA), the first traditional three-event weekends is here and will include the first Team Sprint of the season. Team Sprint action in Val di Fiemme usually means a fight of the two big Nordic Combined nations, Germany and Norway and usually these fights are decided on the last 50 metres of the race.

Norway’s Jørgen Graabak has an excellent track record here (he stood on top of 5 Team Sprint podiums already) and it will be interesting to see if last year’s World Cup runner up can return to old strength, even if the season so far has been sub-par for the 29-year-old.

With the large hill still out of commission due to a landslide last year, all three events will be held on the HS 104 normal hill in Predazzo. The cross-country stadium in Lago di Tesero will host the races, as usual. The smaller hill brings the stronger skiers to the fore again and especially Germany’s Vinzenz Geiger could begin his year 2021 the way he ended 2020: with victories. After two wins in 2019 and 2020, he could become the very first athlete to win in Val di Fiemme in three consecutive years.

Ahead of his home World Championships in Oberstdorf, the 23-year-old is in excellent shape and has proven already that Val di Fiemme is a venue that suits him with victories in 2019 and 2020. Yellow-bib bearer Jarl Magnus Riiber struggled with knee problems before Christmas and will have to show his best level of skiing on the tough course at Val di Fiemme to defend against Geiger’s charge.

Val di Fiemme is ready as can be for this season “re-start”, enjoying a wintry snowy period in the new year and coming straight out of a spectacular Tour de Ski weekend with the FIS Cross-Country World Cup. The stage is set and the Viessmann FIS Nordic Combined World Cup season 2020/21 can now begin in earnest.

The programme

Thursday, 14.01.
12:00 Official Cross-country training
17:00 Official training HS 104
19:00 Provisional Competition Round/Qualification HS 104

Friday 15.01.
09:00 Trial Round HS 104
10:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN Competition Round HS 104
13:45 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 10 km cross-country race

Saturday, 16.01.
09:00 Trial Round HS 104
10:00 TEAM SPRINT Competition Round HS 104
13:30 TEAM SPRINT 2 x 7.5 km cross-country race

Sunday, 17.01.
08:45 Qualification HS 104
10:00 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN Competition Round HS 104
13:15 INDIVIDUAL GUNDERSEN 10 km cross-country race*

*Starting time adapted due to changes in the overall winter sports programme