So Summer Grand Prix is over!  Always a little cause for celebration to be in one piece after the blading races.  Oberstdorf was a bit tricky.  After multiple cancellations due to wind conditions last season we are testing a new format which qualifys 40 skiers based on a scored round the day before the comp.  Then for the comp day we have a new round of jumping with only those 40, the hitch is if the comp day conditions do not allow for a competition the “pocket round” can be used in lieu so the show can go on.  So the qualifying round in Oberstdorf ended up counting, which was not so good for yours truely as I was 33rd.  The race was again very tough with the 9 laps of 1.8km being competed in a mere 28 minutes, I ended up skiing with a good pack but we were unable to overcome the deficit and I finished 19th.

Oberstdorf start

Einsiedeln was a bit of the same, after a nice trial jump a thunderstorm rolled in and as the rain poured down the jumping tower was amidst a show of electric bolts.  So again we reverted to the qualification round for our start times.  Having learned my lesson in Oberstdorf I had a pretty good jump in the quali and was sitting 9th position about :42 down on Finlands Janne Rynanen.  I was feeling pretty good about this until I started warming up, and as the rain poured down the streets became a mess of slick paint, cobblestones, and standing water.  I kind of had a plan of “safety blading” this final race, but of course when the gun went off I charged out and after 3 of 8 laps was pulling into a lead group of five that included Austrians Mario Stecher and David Kreiner, Finn Annsi Koivuranta, and Switzerlands Ronny Heer.  From that point on it became a race of hard attacks, but no one was able to make a move that stuck despite the sketchy course conditions and long steep climb.  After my futile attempt on the 6th lap I was really tired and when Ronny began his assualt on the final climb to the finish I could not keep up, and coasted in for a 5th place.  Hats off to Ronny for his first victory, and especially at home on Switzerlands independence day!

So back to the serious business today.  Now that I am about 10 days out from the start of the Tour of Utah, I need to get back into a semblance of cycling shape.  Johnny Spillane and I hit the road this morning for an epic little Tour de Suisse that took us from Einsiedeln to the Austrian border at Mader.  A 4hr adventure with some long steep climbs and beautiful views.  Luckily the team van was arriving at the border about the same time we came down the final descent with some fresh clothes and lunch.  On that note I hope to have some great updates from TofU, and the return to Nordic Combined the weeks after.

Chris Gilbertson, Johnny Spillane, Billy Demong on top of the Ibergeregg

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