News & Stories
Loppet Challenge and Minne Tour Recap
The City of Lakes Loppet Ski Festival is one really big event with a whole weekend of racing opportunities. For some people, they push their bodies to the nordic skiing limits with two back-to-back days of 42k marathons or even three back-to-back-to-back days of 42k marathons plus sprints! For these people, we award them and congratulate them on their amazing feat!
The Loppet Challenge
Hoigaard’s Classic Marathon + Columbia Sportswear Skate Marathon – Enduro Time Bonus
With the fantastic snow that was received before the Festival, races were able to be held on the longest point-to-point course the Loppet offers; a 42k course starting in Theodore Wirth Park, connecting to the Chain of Lakes, looping through the Minikahda Country Club and finishing off the shore of Lake Calhoun.
The Challenge started on Saturday with the Hoigaard’s Classic and finished on Sunday with the Columbia Sportswear Skate. Age class awards were given based on the cumulative time for the weekend, with an enduro each day offering an opportunity for a time bonus.
Overall Men:
- Chris Pappathopoulos 3:57:23
- Nick Power 4:00:53
- Alex Vanias 4:04:30
Overall Women:
- Natalja Naryshkina 4:27:54
- Alice Flanders 4:30:31
- Kathleen Dewahl 4:46:15
Click here for complete Age Class Loppet Challenge Results.
The Minne Tour
Hoigaard’s Classic Marathon + Columbia Sportswear Skate Marathon – Finn Sisu Sprint Time Bonus – Enduro Time Bonus
Do not let the name fool you, the Minne Tour is anything but mini as racers try to take their share of the $6,000 purse. The Tour connects the Hoigaard’s Classic, the Finn Sisu Sprints, and the Columbia Sportswear Skate in one grueling weekend of skiing.
On Friday evening, the Minne Tour began with the Finn Sisu Sprints. The top five skiers in the Open Division of the Sprints received a time bonus: two minutes for first, one minute for second, 30 seconds for third, 15 seconds for fourth, and 10 seconds for fifth. On Saturday and Sunday during the Hoigaard’s Classic race and the Columbia Sportswear Skate an enduro section comes into play, which is essentially a race within the race. The top male and female to win the enduro received a 30 second time bonus. The Minne Tour leaders are determined by adding the skiers’ times in the Hoigaard’s Classic and Columbia Sportswear Skate and deducting any time bonuses from their times. Lowest cumulative times win cash prizes: $1,500 for first, $800 for second, $400 for third, $200 for fourth and $100 for fifth.
After Friday and Saturday races (read Hoigaard’s Classic recap), Minne Tour standings looked like this:
Men:
- Chris Pappathoulos – 2:05:07 (with 30 second enduro time bonus because Chris won the Enduro over Nick by one one-hundredths of a second)
- Nick Power – 2:05:37
- Kyle Bratrud – 2:08:48
- Alex Vanias – 2:13:10
- Craig Cardinal – 2:16:03
- Danny Whipple – 2:17:45
Women:
- Natalja Naryshkina – 2:19:49 (with two minute bonus for sprint and 30 second for enduro)
- Alice Flanders – 2:30:27 (with one minute bonus for sprint)
- Kathleen Dewahl – 2:35:58 (with 15 second bonus for sprint)
- Kate Ellis – 2:37:09
- Ingrid Leask – 2:43:35
By Sunday morning heading into the Columbia Sportswear Skate, Power needed to make up 30 seconds on Pappathoulos to win the Minne Tour. And on the women’s side, Naryshkina had almost an 11 minute lead on Flanders.
During the skate race (read Columbia Sportswear Skate recap), Pappathopoulos was able to pull ahead of his teammate, Power to win the Minne Tour by three and a half minutes. And on the women’s side, Flanders made up an impressive seven minutes on Naryshkina, but unfortunately that was not quite enough to knock down Naryshkina’s impressive lead from Saturday.
Overall Men:
- Chris Pappathopoulos – 3:57:53
- Nick Power – 4:01:23
- Alex Vanias – 4:04:30
- Chris Harvey – 4:14:54
- Danny Whipple – 4:17:01
- Craig Cardinal – 4:22:48
Overall Women:
- Natalja Naryshkina – 4:25:54
- Alice Flanders – 4:30:01
- Kathleen Dewahl – 4:46:30
- Jan Guenther – 4:47:12
- Ingrid Leask – 5:06:33
Click here for complete Minne Tour Results.
Congratulations to all the Minne Tour and Loppet Challenge participants on your very impressive weekend of racing!