Pole-r Expedition

Okay, okay. I get it. Don't say that Justyna Kowalczyk isn't going to win her races. Duly noted already. I whiffed on Saturday's distance races, failing to pick any of the men on the podium and only one of the women (Saarinen). I am happy to see Lukas Bauer back on form in advance of the home-snow worlds.

Undaunted by my faulty prognostication, here are picks for Sunday's events.

women's classical sprints
1. Justyna Kowalczyk
2. Petra Majdic
3. Aino-Kaisa Saarinen

empirical test of Colin's theories on qualifying
men's classical sprints
1. Ola Vigen Hattestad
2. Eldar Roenning
3. Emil Joensson

Sunday also sees the running of the Marcialonga ski marathon in northern Italy, 70km from Moena through the Val di Fassa and Val di Fiemme and finishing with tough climb to Cavelese. The race is second only to the storied Vasaloppet as a long-distance event, and all the big ski-marathoners are in the race. No Italian man has won since good old Fulvio Valbusa in 2000, so the home-country racers should be gunning for the win. They won't get it this year, with so many of the strong Norwegian and Swedish marathoners competing. My picks:
1. Jerry Ahrlin (Sweden)
2. Marco Cattaneo (Italy)
3. Jorgen Aukland (Norway)