It is Monday after all. A day late for the Lahti relay recap but right on time to discuss U.S. skier, Gus Schumacher's 10 k classic win at World Juniors. The 19-year-old Schumacher from Anchorage, Alaska can close - and he did that Monday with a burning fast final 3.3 k loop in taking the win. And yeah, the women's 4 x 5 k and the men's 4 x 7.5 k relays played out at Lahti's World Cup on Sunday. It wasn't exactly a yawner, but simply put, the relays, this late in a jam packed season, lacked cons...
Mar 02, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Post Ski Tour 2020 it was back to the basics for the World Cup: Interval start classic races for the men and women. The local boy, Iivo Niskanen, still claims the 15 k classic as his race, especially when it goes down in Finland. For the women, Norway's Therese Johaug pipped out the win over Ebba Andersson of Sweden. This was good solid racing in the 10 k and 15 k, respectively. Devon, by the way, is in Oberwiesenthal, Germany for the 2020 Junior/U23 Worlds. He's there helping out the younger ge...
Feb 29, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Stage 6 of the Ski Tour 2020 was, by any stretch of the imagination, a steamroller for Norway. A clean sweep on the men's and women's podium. On the men's side, that's not exactly what we expected. Russia's Alexander Bolshunov looked like a sure thing for the overall win. A 30 k classic for the twenty-three-year-old, I mean who would have predicted anything different? The weather was all over the place. As Devon has said several times, the weather in Trøndelag can be a mix of everything unpleasa...
Feb 24, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 26
A full-on championship course in Trondheim, Norway where the World Championships will go down in the mid-2020s. That's a long way off. This much was true: the venue, like this tour, has been kind to Norway. Maiken Caspersen Falla and Johannes Høsflot Klæbo pleased the home fans. And yes, with all the fans, it seems this might be a venue to revisit in the near future. One more day, a Stage 6 15 k/ 30 k classic pursuit to go.
Feb 22, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 25
The race ended where it began: Stage 4 of the Ski Tour 2020. In between, it was 34 k mass start skate bliss through the Norwegian countryside for those watching from home. For those racing on course, it was not such a comfortable vibe. Pain cave anybody? We discuss the unstoppable Johaug and an Alexander Bolshunov who sent it ... and stuck it, as he made a one-skier-show of the front of the race. Of course, there's some chit chat in there too. Thanks for listening.
Feb 20, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Åre, Sweden -- the site of the national (alpine) ski area in Sweden. Also the site of Stage 3 of the Ski Tour 2020's skate sprint. Short at 0.66 k, but oh so steep with a finishing climb with slopes at 28 percent. Yah! 28 percent. Maybe part sideshow, maybe not. Either way, athletes had to get themselves to the top. In what was a leg-burning affair, for a one-off event, it was sporting entertainment. Thanks for listening.
Feb 19, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 23
The Ski Tour 2020 show continued Sunday in Östersund, Sweden with the men's and women's classic pursuit races. Again, as we discuss in the podcast, it was Norway and Russia heavy on the men's side. For the women, Johaug did her thing, but the racing was gritty. A chase pack of three and a speedy group from fifth through sixteenth made the 10 k affair a fun watch. Like usual we dig into the day. We also diverge a bit and celebrate Susan Dunklee and her silver medal at the 2020 IBU World Champs, a...
Feb 16, 2020•46 min•Season 1Ep. 22
It was all Norway in both the men's and women's Stage 1 of the Ski Tour 2020 from Östersund, Sweden. Sjur Røthe on the men's side was pacing perfection while Therese Johaug simply steamrolled. This was clear, Norway had the best skis, and perhaps by default, the fastest skiers almost across the top-10 board. Yet, it is a long week ahead, and we are one stage into a six stage event. Here's the debrief from Devon: post 15 k/ 10 k interval start skate.
Feb 15, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Sometimes when the unexpected happens, it's a good thing. That's what went down today in Falun, Sweden. In the men's 15 k mass start skate, it was not a scrum of 20 to 30 skiers in a cluster at the finish. A fast and furious pace set by Hans Christer Holund turned that concept on its head. Although the race was won by Alexander Bolshunov, the wily Norwegian that is Holund, took it out hot and broke the field apart. For the women, well..., it was Johaug as predicted, but it was a tight race dicta...
Feb 09, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 20
In this episode -- an analysis of a wonderful day of classic sprinting in Falun, Sweden. First off, hats off to the organizing committee: the fans were out in force, Sweden showed up to race, Johaug advanced to the semis, two Norwegians pounced in the men's race....inhale -- it was simply a fun day of skiing. And, Falun's course was for real. Stout climbs forced athletes to run hills and technical banked turns kept everybody honest. Really, it was an event, despite the region's low snow, that wa...
Feb 08, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 19
This week, we re-posted a great piece from the Statistical Skier (Joran Elias). Before jumping into this episode, it's worth taking some time to digest some of the findings. Elias wrote the piece in response to a podcast we posted after the classic sprint in Oberstdorf, Germany. In that sprint, Norway's Johannes Høsflot Klæbo had an astounding qualifier. In the podcast following the race, we discussed Klæbo'performance and the time-back to some skiers in the field. What does it all mean? Well, K...
Feb 05, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 18
In this episode of of The Devon Kershaw Show from FasterSkier, it is all classic: a deep breakdown from Devon on the nature of Obertsdorf, Germany's classic sprint course. The course has some relevance for this basic reason: the 2021 FIS Nordic Ski World Championships will be held at this venue next season. And what a preview. With three steep climbs, a wee bit of recovery, this sprint course demands big capacity. There's also the highlight of the day for Kershaw - three American women in the to...
Jan 27, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Next season the 2021 FIS Nordic Ski World Championships will be hosted by Oberstdorf, Germany. On Saturday, the women raced a 15 k skiathlon, the men 30 k on what is now a gut-punch of a course. It is championship-worthy. In today's episode, we cover all the striding, all the gliding, and the ski-exchanges in between. Bolshunov remains on form after the TdS, while two notable Norwegians, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Emil Iversen appear to be in a distance funk: both posted a DNF today as they pull...
Jan 25, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Nové Město, Czech Republic served up a traditional rock'em sock'em pursuit series on the World Cup. Saturday featured a 10 k/15 k interval start skate, followed by a 10 k/15 K classic pursuit. Bolshunov and Johaug were the clear fitness outliers but some great races within the race unfolded. And yes, how about those big baggy bibs? Part art-class smock part moo-moo, it was not a good race look. But we digress. To break it all down, former Canadian National Ski Team member Jess Cockney joins Devo...
Jan 20, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 15
In this episode, Devon answers questions ranging from how World Cup athletes maintain in season fitness to why in fact relays don't end with a classic leg. Fell free to send in questions regarding the World Cup to info@fasterskier.com or devon@fasterskier.com. This week's post-racing recap will be posted on Monday following the weekend's racing in Nové Město.
Jan 17, 2020•45 min•Season 1Ep. 14
We are corrected in this episode: we try to be better Francophiles by improving our pronunciation of the weekend's stand out performer on the men's side, Lucas Chanavat. We also dig down and find the fun in Sunday's team sprint in Dresden. With a whirlwind 0.7 k loop, and each skier racing six legs, it was basic sprinting fun. Thanks for listening.
Jan 12, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Post-Tour de Ski, it is time to visit historic Dresden, Germany for a weekend of city sprints. With trucked in artificial snow, slick, fast, and icy conditions made for some spills on the Dresden oval. Stay on your feet, and stay out front: basic tactics that some mastered Saturday. Chanavat took the men's win and Svahn the women's victory. Dresden is calling.
Jan 11, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Holy smokes. It concludes. First off, for those who have listened to this seven-episode post-TdS run, we appreciate it. And there was the racing. Johaug. Weng. Diggins and Brennan in form today on the Alpe, and Sadie Maubet Bjornsen in seventh overall. For the men .... Johannes Høsflot Klæbo faded on the Alpe while Alexander Bolshunov came into his own. We could digress. But we'll leave that for the podcast. Ciao.
Jan 05, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 11
A bit of moving day on the women's side today as Stage 6 of the Tour de Ski concluded. The biggest mover, Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen eeks within three seconds of Therese Johaug for the overall. So much drama set to unfold tomorrow. And then there's Lampic and Diggins on the podium. For the men, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo ran away with the win. But the Alpe Cermis on Stage 7 could crush the young man -- or maybe just the pace set by Sergey Ustiugov and Alexander Bolshunov will be enough. For sure it ...
Jan 04, 2020•53 min•Season 1Ep. 10
In this seven part mini-series, we are onto episode 5 in our Tour de Ski breakdown. Stage 5 offered close racing on a famed Val di Fiemme, Italy 2.5 k loop. Mass start classic races, 10 k for the women, 15 k for the men, made this a three horse race on the men's side and slightly more open field for the women. Have a listen. And...we get a bit sidetracked at the end. If you like climbing books, you'll get a few good recommendations. Onward.
Jan 03, 2020•42 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Stage 4, a 10 k/15 k classic pursuit in Toblach, Italy saw Johaug retain the overall lead for the women, and Bolshunov snag the yellow leader's bib from Ustiugov. On a tricky classic course with steeper hills than Stage 3's skate loop, big efforts took their toll. Kershaw lays it out and discusses the winners and the faders from the day's stage. The Tour takes a rest day tomorrow as Val di Fiemme awaits for the last three stages.
Jan 01, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 8
In this episode, Devon gets into the nitty gritty of a lovely day of interval start racing. That's for real: 15 k for the men, 10 k for the women ... all skate. Stage 3 starts a run of three distance races in a row. Overall positions are still in play, but the top-tier are beginning to separate. Lots of Russians today in the top-10 for the men, and a nail biter on the women's side. Yes, interval start racing can be all that.
Dec 31, 2019•34 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Moving on from picturesque Lenzerheide, Switzerland. With two days of racing, the leaderboards are shaking out for the men and women. In this Tour de Ski episode, we break down the day's skate sprint, pay homage to Jessie Diggins and Sadie Bjornsen, and bow to the sprint king Klæbo.
Dec 29, 2019•19 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Stage 1 of the 2019-2020 Tour de Ski is final. With two distinct shows during the Lenzerheide, Switzerland men's and women's mass start races, the seven-stage TdS narrative has the intro chapter written. Therese Johaug for Norway looks prepped for the distance race sweep, whereas the men's side has several skiers playing for keeps. On second thought, maybe it's not that simple after all. They've got six stages to go.
Dec 28, 2019•22 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Yes, the sprint skiers put on a show this weekend in Planica, Slovenia. With a pure skate sprint weekend - both an individual and team sprint were on tap -- speed and dicey conditions were a highlight. But perhaps, it took a supporting role to the weather. Day one featured a green-brown and rainy template peppered with bountiful bolts of lightning. The racing was postponed for a bit of time. Sunday was a winter wonderland: big puffy snowflakes fell down...a winter gift from the weather gods. In ...
Dec 23, 2019•45 min•Season 1Ep. 4
The show notes below come from a FasterSkier article published on Dec. 10. Russia never tip-toed around its desire to dope on an industrial scale. That much has been documented in an Academy Award winning documentary and the more academic reports cataloging Russian doping misdeeds. Many have claimed Russia suffered a mere hand slap from WADA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for its transgressions. When RUSADA was reinstated as compliant in September 2018, the world of clean sport ma...
Dec 19, 2019•15 min
In this episode of The Devon Kershaw Show it is all things Davos. While the glam Swiss valley boasts mountain scenery, and a fusion of traditional Swiss cowbell and high finance, in many ways it remains decidely old school. Among other things, we discuss what some say is an outdated Davos distance course and the killing it Swedish women's team-- in particular, women's sprint winner, twenty-year-old Linn Svahn. We'll be releasing a mid-week episode where we chat about last week's WADA decision to...
Dec 16, 2019•41 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Lots to breakdown after this weekend. Yup, Johaug crushed, but so did Diggins, Maubet Bjornsen, and Brennan. And cheers for the American women's second place in the relay. For the men, Hans Christer Holund was a master who was foiled only by the sprint closer Bolshunov in the 30 k skiathlon. Have a listen as we discuss Lillehammer's infamous climb, waxing, ski selection, and yes, coffee in the Norwegian wax truck. If you have any questions, send them to devon@fasterskier.com or info@fasterskier....
Dec 08, 2019•39 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Devon Kershaw breaks down the three-race Ruka, Finland mini-Tour. It was the opening weekend of the 2019-2020 World Cup with some surprises -- three American women in the overall top-10 and a Finnish classic ski specialist who nailed the final skate race. From the opening day's classic sprint, to the interval start classic race, and the final skate pursuit, Kershaw opines on the winners and those who perhaps haven't found their early season form.
Dec 02, 2019•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1
