The second round of the Slavic Cup series held in Nové Město over the weekend was one of the tests as well. The event was originally scheduled to Jablonec, but there the tracks are without a single trace of snow at present due to the unusually warm winter weather which affects central Europe these days.
"The fact that we managed to organize the Slavic Cup, which we have moved in Nové Město, raised the credit of Czech XC skiing," said the Vice-President of the Czech Ski Association and Sports Director of Cross Country Skiing Čestmír Skrbek, who highly praised the current condition of the tracks in Nové Město.
"Despite the warm weather, local tracks are ready to pass the strictest tests. They are certainly in much better condition than the tracks we could see at the last round of the Biathlon World Cup in Oberhof. There’s no place in Central Europe currently, where tracks would be of such quality as the ones in Nové Město," said Skrbek.
Organizers in Nové Město still managed to store some extra technical snow still in bunkers. "I am confident that the weekend’s World Cup in Sprint distances will see nicely groomed snowy white tracks. I have only words of respect for the organizers in Nové Město," says Skrbek.
Slavic Cup, Nové Město na Moravě - Results:
SATURDAY
Sprint – free technique:
Men: 1. Kožíšek 3:14,5, 2. Mlynář (oba Dukla Liberec) -8,3, 3. Šrail (SK Nové Město na Moravě) -10,0, 4. Gräf (Dukla Liberec) -14,9, 5. Rádl (Slovan Karlovy Vary) -25,1, 6. Kordutch (Sokol Stachy) -25,5.
Women: 1. Schützová 3:14,0, 2. Hynčicová (obě Dukla Liberec) -0,4, 3. Moravcová (Ski klub Jablonec n/N) -3,2, 4. Mordarská (Pol.) -6,0, 5. Hájková (Ski klub Jablonec n/N) -8,0, 6. Kotschová (SR) -11,6.
SUNDAY
Men - 15 km Classic: 1. Novák (Slovan K. Vary) 38:13,3, 2. Horyna (Dukla Liberec) -24,8, 3. Kordutch (Sokol Stachy) -28,2, 4. Kožíšek (Dukla Liberec) -39,7, 5. Knop (Ski Jablonec n/N) -42,4, 6. Šrail (SK Nové Město na Mor.) -49,4.
Women - 10 km Classic: 1. Moravcová 28:30,0, 2. Hájková (obě Ski Jablonec n/N) -47,4, 3. Schützová (Dukla Liberec) -1:05,5, 4. Horká (Ski Jilemnice) -1:40,3, 5. Galewiczová (Pol.) -1:44,7, 6. Boudíková (SK Nové Město na Mor.) -1:52,3.
Jiří Pošvář, Jan Skřička
