Justyna Kowalczyk wins the first stage of Ruka Triple-

'' It started quests today in Kuusamo (Finland) World Cup cross-country skiing. Unlike what happened in the last few years do not start with a race distance at intervals, but with a multi-stage event, the so-called "Ruka-Triple" the first stage of which is a sprint alternately.

Friday 29 November 2013 3 minutes reading time

The first success of the season went to Justyna Kowalczyk, undoubtedly one of the favorites of the vigil. The Polish had no problem adjusting the contestants found from turn to turn and won the 18th stage victory in a multistage event, the number 48 overall career. Square d'' honor'' for a good Kikkan Randall, managed to get on the podium in the art to her friend less. Third place went to Germany's Denise Hermann, proved very perky and able to do for a long time where the pace in the final also came the Russian Evgenia Shapovalova, the Thekla Brun-Lie of Norway and Sweden's Ida Ingemarsdotter. Marit Bjoergen, who had the fastest time in qualifying, was sensationally eliminated in the quarterfinals. In his battery did the Norwegian rhythm together in Charlotte Kalla, but in the final sprint the two Scandinavian were overcome by Katerina Smutna'' Austrian and Slovakian Alena Prochazkova (later eliminated in the semifinals). Out in the battery also Therese Johaug, Krista LÃ¤htenmÃ¤ki and Anne Kyllonen. No Italian has passed the qualification. Lucia Scardoni she finished 47th, Virginia De Martin Topranin 69 ^, 73 ^ Ilaria Debertolis, Elisa Brocard 92 ^ 99 ^ Piller and Marina. RUKA TRIPLE 1st STAGE - SPRINT TC 1. KOWALCZYK Justyna [POL] 3'' 06 "1 2. Kikkan Randall [USA] 1" 7 3. HERMANN Denise [GER] 2 "9 4. Shapovalova Evegnia [RUS] 3" 6 5. BRUN-LIE Thekla [NOR] 7 "4 6. INGEMARSDOTTER Ida [SWE] 11" 7 Click here for full results. In the overall standings of the Ruka Triple-Bjoergen and Johaug will then have to make up ground against Kowalczyk. Tomorrow at 10.00 Italian is scheduled the second stage, a 5 km long with alternating starting at intervals.

Francesco Paone

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