After last year's "snowless" break, the cross-country skiing week in Bedřichov and its surroundings culminated with the Memorial Expedition Peru 1970. Team Engcon. Both the winner Ole Joergen Bruvoll and the winner Anikken Gjerde Alnaes wear the yellow and black overalls of this team. The racers were greeted by beautiful weather and fast snow, so even recreational cross-country skiers could enjoy the course. A total of 4,460 cross-country skiers started the main race. The number of racers at the 58th ČEZ Jizerska 50 stopped at 8413. But the racing started on Thursday.
After three years, the weather on D-Day over the Jizera Mountains was like something out of a catalogue. The morning frost painted various motifs similar to those created by Jizera Mountain glassmakers for centuries. During the day, however, the temperature in the sun rose above zero.
The organizers chose a format in which the women set off at 8:00 a.m., giving them a half-hour head start on the men. This gave the best female racers more space on the track and made the race fairer. The men started half an hour later. The spectators could watch interesting tactical manoeuvres of some of the racers who focused only on the individual premiums, on which they exerted their maximum strength, and did the rest of the race more freely. The choice of premiums was again offered by ORLEN, ČEZ and Česká mincovna.
Only after them did those who make up the spirit of the ČEZ Jizera 50 - recreational cross-country skiers, people who tomorrow will have a normal working day. Maybe their colleagues will joke about how many hours they lost to the winner, but they will be warmed by the feeling of a valuable sporting performance and participation in an event that is unparalleled in Central Europe.
Gjerde Alnaes showed her sprint superform
Sprint winner Anikken Gjerde Alnaes was the first among the women to cross the Orlen summit finish at Knaipa, which signalled how the race would develop. Then the six female riders separated and went through the refreshment station on Jizerka.
Another key place was, as every year, the steep climb from Smědava to Knajpa. Anikken Gjerde Alnaes set the pace again, but Stina Nilsson showed the greatest acceleration at the end of the climb, where the Czech Mint bonus was given out. Emilie Fleten, Hanna Lodin and Jenny Larsson followed in the top five.
About three minutes behind them, Sandra Schütz, the fastest Czech, was in a solid seventh place. Tereza Hujerova held twelfth place.
The leading five stayed together until the last kilometres and the race was decided in the final sprint, where positional riding and downhill skills played a key role. In the end, the same rider as in the sprint was the first to cross the finish line. But this time Anniken Gjerde Alnaes had to fight really hard with Jenny Larsson and the winner was not clear until the last metres. About 15 metres behind them were Stina Nilsson, Hanna Lodin and Emilie Fleten. The fastest women completed the course in just 2 hours and 9 minutes, three minutes less than the official course record.
"I realised very early on that it was going to be a sprint, so I tried to save my strength. The snow was a bit dry at the top and it had a sugar texture at the finish, so it was difficult to find the ideal line and not lose my balance. I'm glad that Jenny Larsson, who has been trying to get on the podium for a long time, got on the podium as well." revealed the winner.
CEZ Jizerska 50 - women
- Anikken Gjerde Alnaes (NOR, Team Engcon) 2:09:24
- Jenny Larsson (SWE, Lager 157 Ski Team) +0:00,2
- Hanna Lodin (SWE, Team Engcon) +0:02
Men's race led by Engcon team
The first significant division of the men's field occurred on the hill at Rozmezí. However, the top Orlen premium this year was located only on Knajpa. Runar Skaug Mathisen from Norway was the fastest there after half an hour.
A large group of more than twenty competitors came to Jizerka, so the sprinters' CEZ premium was hard fought for. The Norwegian Mikael Gunnulfsen surprised everyone, as he doesn't have much experience with long-distance running, but he has already won one World Cup race in his career as part of a relay.
On the climb to Smědava, the race aces, led by Max Novak and Andreas Nygaard, started to set the pace. However, the Frenchman Jérémy Royer managed to escape, who came for the Czech Mint premium.
The Engcon team surprised the entire peloton in the section before Krásná Marí - only Johan Hoel of the Radge Charge team could keep up with the pace of the trio of Torleif Syrstad, Ole Joergen Bruvoll and Johan Tjelle. From the main field, the tactics began to take hold, which allowed the leading group to gain enough of an advantage. Tjelle eventually dropped out of contention for the win, leaving the remaining pairing of Engcon Syrstad and Bruvoll to keep an eye on Hoel. Syrstad had the best skis in the downhill, but Bruvoll got the better of him on the home straight.
"Yes, it was a hard race, we were always going at a high pace. Finally there was a fight in a group of four riders at the end. The finish was close, I wasn't even sure if I had won. The conditions were really very nice. There wasn't much snow in the Jizera Mountains, but I was pleasantly surprised by how the organizers managed to prepare the trails," praised the winner Ole Joergen Bruvoll.
CEZ Jizerska 50 - men
- Ole Joergen Bruvoll (NOR, Team Engcon) 1:51:16
- Torleif Syrstad (NOR, Team Engcon) +0:00,1
- Johan Hoel (NOR, Team Radge Charge) +0:00,8
Commencing! Thursday's skating races got Jizerska 50 up to speed
The ČEZ Jizerska 50 started its 58th year with the traditional free technique race. 822 cross-country skiers set off on the routes, which attracted mainly keen athletes. Fabián Štoček and Eliška Šibravová were the winners at the finish line. Filip Mairich and Tereza Hujerová dominated the seventeen.
The sunny weather with frosty mornings and warm afternoons receded for a while and Bedřichov woke up to a typical Jizera Mountain morning. It was foggy and the landscape was covered with wet snow. However, even the change of conditions did not prevent the organizers from carefully preparing the routes. In some places there was only the necessary minimum of snow, but the competitors did not have to worry about their skis and could go all out.
Volkswagen Bedřichovská 30 for a ready advocate
Volkswagen Bedřichovská 30 found its alternative variant along the route around the Josefodol dam, Kristiánov, Hřebínek and the final section around the Černá Nisa dam. The organizers decided to spare the difficultly groomed section around Krásná Máří, where it was necessary to bring snow. Statisticians will remember this race well, because it was attended by 500 competitors.
Cross-country skiers hit the trails at 13:35. Although the course was changed, the race was similar to the 2023 race. Defending champion Fabián Štoček was guarding the front of the race and attacking on the climbs. He took advantage of the fact that he had tested his skis before the start and was able to run the whole course.
"I skate, but I treat it more as an endurance and recovery component in my training, so I don't skate intervals much. I went into the race with similar tactics as last year. In the beginning I was more hiding and getting on the hills. I also had room to sprint on the Dr. Max timed section before the finish," said the defending champion.
Ondřej Pilař from Jilemnice finished second and Jiří Ročárek, the stop matador, finished third.
Results VW Bedrichovská 30 (25,5 km) men
- Fabián Štoček (ED system Vltava Fund team) - 1:04:15
- Ondřej Pilař (ČKS SKI Jilemnice) +0:36,6
- Jiří Ročárek (Vltava Fund Ski team) +3:10
Among the women, Eliška Šibravová shone with a great performance, leaving behind the former Olympian and Jizera Mountains legend Zuzana Kocumová. The German Laura Stichling finished third.
Results VW Bedřichovská 30 (25,5 km) women
- Eliška Šibravová (ED system Vltava Fund team) - 1:09:44
- Zuzana Kocumová (ED system Vltava Fund team) +1:52
- Laura Stichling (GER, ED system Vltava Fund team) +4:03
Even a fall on the chin did not stop the winner of Jizerska 17
On the other hand, Jizerská 17 could use the traditional T-Mobile Magenta track. In recent years, this route has been a guarantee of quality skiing even outside the ČEZ Jizerska 50. The start of the shorter race followed at 13:50.
The first to reach the finish line was Filip Mairich, who established a decisive lead on the final climb, where the Dr. Max measured section was also located. He almost lost the lead at the end.
"I made a good lead on the climb out of Nová Louka and I thought that if I didn't crash I would win. Unfortunately I fell, but I still made it," said Filip, whose chin was adorned with a winning scratch on stage.
Results Jizerska 17 (17,5 km free) men
- Filip Mairich (Ski Club Jablonec nad Nisou) - 45:19
- Jan Šembera (Ski Club Jablonec nad Nisou) +0:02
- Martin Koukal (Camps of Martin Koukal) +0:15
The first woman comfortably crossed the finish line Tereza Hujerováwho took the race as a preparation for the main 50 and rode out behind her male colleagues.
"In the beginning it took me a while to get into the rhythm because I don't skate much. The snow was surprisingly fast, I was expecting a time of around an hour on that trail, but we were back in 50 minutes," praised the winner, who usually trains in the Jizera Mountains but currently races for an Italian team.
Results Jizerska 17 (17,5 km free) women
- Tereza Hujerová (Team Robinson Trentino) - 48:47
- Edita Pozlerová (EDPOTEAM) +4:53
- Anežka Krouska (SK Kotlarka) +9:32
The end of the day belonged to the opening ceremony. The nice duty was taken over by "historical skiers", who on ancient skis and in similarly old outerwear slid down the tracks of the Bedřichov stadium. Thursday's program traditionally culminated at the monument to the deceased participants of the Peru expedition.
The varied Friday programme full of sunshine belonged to children, relays and stars of ORLEN Sprint
Friday's program of the ČEZ Jizerska 50 featured a variety of cross-country skiing stars. In the morning, the Mini Jizerska Dr. Max was taken by those who are yet to climb the horizon in time. The afternoon T-Mobile Jizera Corporate, on the other hand, often featured racers who have left their professional careers behind. The evening ORLEN Sprint then became the traditional destination for the best riders of the laufar peloton. Sweden's Alvar Myhlback and Norway's Anikken Gjerde Alnaes took 100,000 CZK with them to their next stops.
The morning belonged to the children
On Friday, the ČEZ Jizerska 50 ensemble woke up to on a completely different day than Thursday. It was the weather. In Bedřichov, sunny conditions prevailed from the morning and after the morning frost the sun drove the temperatures even slightly above zero, but the routes were in good shape until the evening.
The first to enjoy them were the youngest competitors in Mini Jizerska 50 Dr. Max. Many of them already train in racing clubs and have many years of experience with these races, so there was no shortage of quality battles on the tracks.
Relay for the Defenders
After the lunch break the participants started to put their skis in their blocks T-Mobile Jizera Corporate Relay. In addition to former top cross-country skiers such as Martin Koukal or Dusan Kozisek, personalities from other disciplines related to sport also hit the trail.
But the current star has arrived at the finish line. Luděk Šeller is a stable member of the cross-country skiing team and was the first to bring the favourite team from Ski Association of the Czech Republic. He could safely control the range, because he had Tomas Lukes a Ondřej Pilař they've set up a great position. Moreover, Tereza Beranová started the relay in contact with the best men. The fastest lap was recorded by the long race specialist Ales the Rich in the colours of the third team of the municipality Bedřichov and Jizera o.p.s.
- Ski Association of the Czech Republic (Tereza Beranová, Ondřej Pilař, Tomáš Lukeš, Luděk Šeller) 33:53
- Czech Mint (Theodor Čapek, Vojtěch Prášil, Jan Němec, Tomáš Hasilla) +0:50
- Municipality Bedřichov and Jizerská o.p.s. (Ales Bohaty, Oskar Poluha, Tobias Holub, Ales Martinek) +2:21
Gjerde Alnaes confirmed her form from the last races. Myhlback showed how to sprint
In the evening, the Bedřichov stadium was almost immersed in a disco atmosphere, not to mention the prize money worth 400 000 CZK. ORLEN Sprint is a welcome opportunity for spectators on site and on TV screens to see elite athletes in full action. The bumpy, almost flat circuit offers plenty of contact between the competitors, which will drive the top finishers to the finish, among other things, with generous prize money.
World Cup competitors also came to measure their strength with the laufar world Luděk Šeller a Maciej Starega. However, the competition in the sprint was so high that neither of these two world-class athletes made it through the qualification gates. Among others, the winner of the Ski Classics La Venosta race, Oskar Kardin, did not make it to the final.
In the women's division, the Czech female competitors were laufar stalwarts Tereza Hujerová a Sandra Schützbut they were eliminated in the first semifinal. Similarly, the winner of the relay failed in the semifinals Tereza Beranová.
In the women's final, she chose a not-so-traditional tactic Anniken Gjerde Alnaes, who confirmed her great time from the qualification and excellent form in the last races. She clearly dominated the women's final ahead of the second Louise Lindstroem and the third Julia Kvale Stoestad.
"I love sprints, even though the last one I did was about two years ago. I was a bit nervous about it, but obviously I can still do it," said the Norwegian, whose most notable sprint success was eighth place in the World Cup.
Sprint women
- Anniken Gjerde Alnaes (NOR, Team Engcon)
- Louise Lindstroem (SWE, Team Eksjöhus)
- Julie Kvale Stoestad (NOR, Team Ramudden)
Tereza Beranová (Olfincarski Team), Sandra Schützová (eD system Vltava Fund Team), Tereza Hujerová (Team Robinson Trentino) - dropped out in the semifinals
The men's final brought significantly more fights and tactics. Anton Persson was the first to cross the line, but it was the youngster Alvar Myhlback who showed the greatest acceleration in the finish line. Ole Joergen Bruvoll and Vebjoern Moen managed to overtake Persson.
"I think it's the most fun race of the season because of the great atmosphere. I wish it was like this at the 50th," said at the finish line the defending ORLEN Sprint winner from 2022 and 2023.
Sprint men
- Alvar Myhlback (SWE, Lager 157 Ski Team)
- Ole Joergen Bruvoll (Team Engcon)
- Vebjoern Moen (Team Eksjöhus)
Saturday satisfied even the easy-going. The classic technique races were enjoyed by 2400 cross-country skiers
Saturday at the ČEZ Jizerska 50 was purely in the rhythm of the classics. The 25 and 10 km races once again attracted not only systematically trained competitors, but also sports enthusiasts and families with children who enjoyed the precisely groomed tracks in the Jizera Mountains. A total of 2,397 competitors took to the trails. Petr Kolaja and Eliška Šibravová won the main 25 km race.
The third day and the third time slightly different conditions. On Saturday, the competitors had cloudy weather and temperatures slightly below freezing. The experts from the Swix lubrication tent opted for the same slip waxes as on Thursday, but the climbing waxes, which are crucial for the classic technique, were different. While they recommended klister for technical snow on Friday, Saturday's routes were through areas with only natural snow. Classic hard waxes were more suited to it.
Fastest in an hour, slowest in four and a half. There's no need to rush to Jizera 25
At 8:30 the Jizerska 25 started, which this year did not go all the way to Rozmezí, but the starting field had a shorter trip along the so-called "Panelka". In order not to shorten the race significantly, the participants enjoyed a bonus lap around the Černá Nisa reservoir and a measured section of Dr. Max. The route was enjoyed by 1,150 runners.
The 25 km route was the goal of mainly younger competitors who are used to shorter distances. The first finish line was crossed by Petr Kolajawho spent less than an hour and 4 minutes on the route, followed a minute later by Jakub Bečvář.
"It was decided in the last three to four kilometres, when I went uphill. Otherwise it was a very nice race, we worked together at the front. The track is in very good shape, the tracks were hard, although it wasn't quite fast because the snow is dry," said the winner of the Jizera 25.
Results Jizerska 25 men (22,5 km classic)
- Petr Kolaja (eD system Vltava Fund team) 1:03:50
- Jakub Bečvář (eD systém Vltava Fund team) +0:52
- Michal Švarc (Ski Sokol Stachy) +2:48
Among women she continued her triumph from the VW Bedřichovská 30 Eliška Šibravováwho once again defeated the veteran Zuzana Kocumová.
"I expected worse, but in the last six kilometres my cupcake turned and I started to feel that one of my arms wasn't working so well. So I turned it around and it felt good," said the winner.
The second Kocum acknowledged the qualities of the winner: "Elishka was better. It is very difficult when you go full speed uphill, but on the other hand it is good going downhill."
Results Jizerska 25 women (22,5 km classic)
- Eliška Šibravová (eD system Vltava Fund team) 1:10:53
- Zuzana Kocumova (eD system Vltava Fund team) +0:55
- Lenka Skrbkova (Sokol Železný Brod) +11:57
But Jizerska 25 is really an event for everyone, because the biggest gourmets spent 4 hours and 37 minutes on the trail. 50 minutes before them crossed the finish line Roman Charvát, who in civilian life moves only in a wheelchair, but as soon as he arrives on the snow, he transfers to a special sledge and uses shorter poles to cross-country ski the route.
Predatory youth fought on Jizerska 10
At 14:00 the skiers set off for the race CT Jizerská 10, which is also suitable as a ride for the whole family. The weather was absolutely idyllic because the sun was out. The 10 confirmed that the starting field is getting bigger every year - 1247 athletes took to the track. In total, 3,665 athletes have so far set foot in the Bedřichov stadium.
Most of the participants enjoyed the course in peace, but the younger skiers took the race very prestigiously and leaned on their poles from the start. Lukáš Antoš was the first to cross the finish line.
"I took it on the climb from the dam, so I was able to try a sprint on the timed section of Dr. Max. But I wasn't at the top yet and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to hold the lead in the end, but it turned out to be enough." said the winner.
Results CT Jizerska 10 men (11,7 km classic)
- Lukas Antos (eD system Vltava Fund team) 31:50
- Oskar Poluha (BK Kalibr Venice) +0:15
- Sander Kurt (GER, SSV Erfurt 02) +0:17
Among the women, Magdaléna Bradnová surprised by beating five of her young colleagues from Jablonec.
Results CT Jizerska 10 women (11,7 km classic)
- Magdaléna Bradnová (Ski club Jablonec nad Nisou) 37:56
- Silvia Gubančoková (Ski club Jablonec nad Nisou) +0:47
- Anna Cilichová (Ski Club Jablonec nad Nisou) +0:49
CT Jizerská 10 is also a family race. The system is simple - up to two adults with two children can go on one family entry fee. The times of the three fastest team members are then added up at the finish.
Results CT Family 10
- The Hrouds
- Cratia team
- Rudolf's gazelles
jiz50.cz/ gnews - RoZ
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