Last Updated: 07.Dec.2013

We didn’t get around to posting a SuperTour preview for the Bozeman races, but since today’s classic sprint was cancelled due to temperatures below the legal FIS limit, we figured there is still time! Here’s the update on the Montana GRP skier contingent’s weekend races.

The name of the game at the Bohart Ski Trails is surviving the cold. Actually, frigid may be a better word for it. With temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit all week, there has been an off chance that the organizers wouldn’t be able to hold the races as planned, a classic sprint Saturday and mass start classic Sunday. They pushed back the start time Saturday until noon, but it wasn’t quite enough and the temperature around 11 a.m. was still -15F, so the jury chose to cancel the classic sprint, with no word on whether they will be able to reschedule.

However, the forecast for Sunday’s race is more promising, and the start times have already been pushed back to 12 pm for women and 1 pm for men. Hopefully the races will be able to run as planned. The women’s race is a 10k Mass Start Classic, the first mass start of the year. GRP skier Caitlin Patterson is ranked 3rd on the distance list, and will be on the hunt for a top podium position, especially since SuperTour points are relatively scarce this year. Liz Guiney is ranked 11th, and will also be looking to improve on her seed. The women’s field is small but strong, with only 27 racers registered but most of the major clubs represented.

The men will be racing a 15k Mass Start Classic on a challenging course with more than a few herringbone hills. GRP skiers Patrick O’Brien, Andrew Dougherty, and Gordon Vermeer will be looking to break into the top ten. Andrew and Gordon both raced these trails at the 2012 NCAA Championships hosted by Montana State, so they are familiar with the steep hills and twisting descents. The tracks may be a little slow due to the cold, but the field will be fired up and race-ready from the frustration of the cancelled race today. The men’s field is larger, with 50 racers registered, and most of the top elite club skiers will be present to compete for SuperTour points.

Results should be available on the BSF Website shortly after Sunday’s race. You can find a start list here. Think warm thoughts everybody!