January Classics: Day 15

Today’s edition of January Classics takes us to Ukraine and WOC 2007. A hot day in fast terrain with a long route choice leg (see above). This is not one of the real classic classics – but still an interesting race. A new forking method was tested – giving some interesting split times at the arena passage.

Update 17/1/2014: Map with higher resolution! Thanks a lot, Vasili!

Here is the press release ahead of the WOC 2007 long distance:

The newly released Bulletin 3 gives the athletes and other some more information about how the WOC-races will be. And the longdistance will create a historic moment with the longest WOC-courses ever for both men and women. The men will fight on a course of 18,1 kilometer with 28 controls. This is the first time a WOC-course will pass the 18 km mark. The previous record was in Sweden 1989, 17,7km. Last years course in Denmark was also long, 17,5km. The womens course for the longdistance will also be the longest ever, 11,9km. This is just 100 meter longer than the course in Switzerland 2003.

There will, however, not be a record for number of controls. The mens course in Switzerland 2003 had 34 controls. It remains to be seen if the races will be the fastest ever for a longdistance. Petter Thoresen ran close to 5min/km in 1989, and this means the race this year must have a winning time close to 95 minutes to be the fastest race ever. Will it be possible?

The answer: No! Partly due to the heat – but as you see the course was also not the easiest one.

• Full map (Do you have the map in higher resolution?)

Results men
1) Matthias Merz SUI 1.44.28, 2) Andrey Khramov RUS 1.48.06, 3) Anders Nordberg NOR 1.48.36, 4) Mats Haldin FIN 1.48.52, 5) Vyacheslav Mukhidinov UKR 1.49.45, 6) Roman Efimov RUS 1.49.50, 7) Michal Smola CZE 1.50.32, 8) Mikhail Mamleev Italy 1.51.01, 9) Jamie Stevenson GBR 1.51.28, 10) Kiril Nikolov BUL 1.51.39,

Results women
1) Minna Kauppi FIN 1.20.17, 1) Heli Jukkola FIN 1.20.17, 3) Simone Niggli SUI 1.21.48, 4) Anne Margrethe Hausken NOR 1.23.19, 5) Marianne Andersen NOR 1.23.47, 6) Hanny Allston AUS 1.24.17, 7) Tatyana Riabkina RUS 1.25.56, 8) Lena Eliasson SWE 1.26.13, 9) Lea Mueller SUI 1.27.34, 10) Seline Stalder SUI 1.29.28

Webroute for selected leg

Below you can try to figure out what you would have done on the long leg. First take a look at the map above – and then draw your own route using the ‘Webroute’ below. Think through how you would attack this leg, and draw the route you would have made. Some comments about why you would choose a certain route are always nice for the other readers.

Video material from WOC 2007 long distance