Width of machine-groomed classic XC tracks?

[crosscountry]

If enough racers are able to go faster with double poling than they can stride, seems to me it's about time to create yet another class of "in track free style", where racers can compete head to head on their fitness and strength by double poling as much as possible to their heart's content.

Whilst "classic" may have to be no double poling except the first 100 yard of the course.

 

[jt10000]

If enough racers are able to go faster with double poling than they can stride, seems to me it's about time to create yet another class of "in track free style", where racers can compete head to head on their fitness and strength by double poling as much as possible to their heart's content.
urse.

Do you follow the sport much - that is watch races in some way?

 

[Tom K.]

I XC ski 3 x a week during the season on our local groomed trails and the incredible speed, grace and fitness of top level racers whizzing by, is simply "Art" to watch....... Beauty in Motion... like watching a bobcat run across a snow covered field... It's like they move without moving. That Zone is other worldly...... I always just stop and admire the form...many attempts to emulate their form but alas Posers like me, Unite!

So true. I used to ski at an area that was groomed by a guy that missed qualifying for the Whistler biathlon by one place. All of us regular, kinda fast guys would be skiing around, seeing other skiers through the woods now and then, and suddenly without mistake........"hey, there goes Sam".

Just unmistakably superior form and speed.

Maybe like watching @Primoz at his peak.

 

[crosscountry]

Do you follow the sport much - that is watch races in some way?

I don't "follow the sport" much. But I try to watch races whenever I have a chance. Admittedly, that doesn't happen too frequently, especially in recent years as I spent more and more time skiing downhill. (it was the pandemic that tore me away from the mountains, back to a lot more nordic skiing)

I've been thinking I need to watch a few full length races on youtube to get a sense of what's been going on in the elite level racing lately. Suggestion of a couple such clips? I'd appreciate it.

 

[jt10000]

I don't "follow the sport" much. But I try to watch races whenever I have a chance.

So are you not seeing diagonal striding? I see plenty of diagonal striding in races on Youtube. And people kickwaxing at local races.

 

[crosscountry]

So are you not seeing diagonal striding? I see plenty of diagonal striding in races on Youtube. And people kickwaxing at local races.

I was seeing plenty of striding too. So I was surprised to hear many elite level racers are double poling in extended periods. I'm curious enough to want to watch a few recent races to see how much double poling the winners are doing nowadays.

 

[wooglin]

Lots of racing here. Got shut down a couple of years ago and I haven’t been able to follow the last two seasons. Sadly.

https://youtube.com/c/ClassicSkiTrack

 

[jt10000]

I was seeing plenty of striding too. So I was surprised to hear many elite level racers are double poling in extended periods. I'm curious enough to want to watch a few recent races to see how much double poling the winners are doing nowadays.

It's most common in classic sprints. Here some seem to have kick and some only double pole:


And at the front of the big marathons. Here you can see there is one racer with kick and the others only double poling up a hill: