Will Starykh reach the medal? What to expect from the Czech stage of the Biathlon World Cup. Czech

The negativity is over, now let's get down to the report itself. Let's start with the main thing: the Biathlon World Cup stage, held on January 11-15 in the Czech winter resort Nove Mesto na Morave.

The ski complex here is located not even in the mountains, but on low hills in the north of the Vysočina region, in Moravia. This area is a kind of oasis: while literally a few kilometers from here nothing reminds of winter, here the snow that falls once does not melt, and there are quite deep snowdrifts. So there was no need to worry about the lack of snow.

Getting to Nove Mesto is easy and simple: just 12 km from here is the town of Zdar nad Sazavou, located on the railway. highway Prague-Brno. Trains run approximately once an hour, and Zdar is an hour and a half drive from Prague and an hour from Brno. And then it’s a 25-minute ride by commuter bus or train along the single-track line Zdiar-Tishnov to the stop “Nove Mesto - Nemocnica” or “Nove Mesto - Zastavka”, respectively. From there it’s a 2 km walk and you’re at the stadium.

It was the first time that the Czechs hosted competitions of such a high level, and because of this, they did their best: both the sports facilities themselves and the organization of the process were impeccable. As a result, we fans were constantly in a festive atmosphere and enjoyed the spectacle to the fullest. Of course, TV broadcasts provide more details and information, but people haven't stopped going to stadiums, right? Let's take a look too.

Three out of four days I got to the stadium on this local train, painted in cheerful colors:

The middle carriage is specially equipped for visitors to the winter resort; it is spacious and there is room to secure skis and poles:

Soon we are leaving, at this inconspicuous stop:

And the diesel continues on its way, turning towards the town:

The town looks nice, but I didn’t even look into it: there’s not much to see in the resort area. Note the differences in snow cover on the hills and at their base:

And the surrounding winter panorama is truly pleasing to the eye:

The last parking lot in front of the stadium is located nearby. The Czechs organized free buses between the stadium and the main fan locations within a 15 km radius. I lived in 25, so a bus halfway (to Zdyar) would not have helped me much. And others used such a freebie willingly:

On the left side of the path there is a ski stadium (an easy descent for amateur skiers and even a jump), very popular among residents of the Vysočina region:

After another hundred meters, a biathlon track is already visible in the forest:

You can be here without a ticket, but apart from correspondents, there were no others willing to sit in the snow:

And here is the entrance to the stadium. Here they sell and check tickets, sometimes also the contents of bags. And under this bridge there is a racing track:

A short descent and we finally reach the stadium itself. According to the organizers, four two-tier stands can accommodate about 14 thousand spectators:

On Sunday - the last day of the stage - about that much came, and on weekdays the stands were half filled. As you can see, there are no chairs here - it would still be cold to sit:

Let's climb to the very top to take overview shots. We look at the panorama from left to right. Areas for fans and participants are separated by a fence; on the right, apparently, are the locker rooms and weapons rooms:

Next are the residential and utility zones, if you can call them that. In the background is the Ski Hotel (apparently for members of the federation - all the athletes would not have fit in it anyway), in the foreground there is a parking lot and sheds for equipment. Three teams (Norwegians, Swedes and Germans) transport all their equipment in these trucks. I have not yet found out what other teams use for these purposes:

To the right the stadium itself begins. There are large screens installed here; The first one shows the TV picture, the second one shows the current protocol. Closer to us is the turn of the route to the shooting range. Inside its radius is a warm-up or pre-start zone:

The main elements of the stadium can be seen in the following photo. This is a shooting range, to the right and further from it is a penalty loop (you can see how volunteer skiers are running around it), in the center of the frame is the starting area, closer to the stands is the finishing area, and on the left side is a mixed area where athletes go immediately after the finish, falling into the clutches of reporters:

Even further to the right, the stadium ends and the track goes into the forest. It is winding and has a lot of ups and downs - it will be interesting to read how the athletes rated this new route in comparison with those they were familiar with at other stages of the World Cup. It’s a pity that not a single section is visible from the stadium, but the running part is an important component of any race:

Here's a closer view of the starting area. Before the start of the pursuit race, it is divided into several separate lanes for a parallel start, and in individual races, where the interval between athletes is 30 seconds, one is enough:

The shooting range can accommodate 30 athletes at a time. On it, along with the main ones, you can distinguish sighting targets (in two rows), which will be removed closer to the start. Unfortunately, it is far from the stands, and it is very difficult to see who is shooting. In the center of the frame is the starting point. Notes are placed on the pyramids so that participants do not forget their start time, and the board on the right shows the exact time for the same purposes. And the starting balloons will soon be inflated; the same cylinders stand along the route at control marks:

Mixed zone close up. Here, among other things, they bring plastic bags with athletes’ clothes, which they take off before the start. Starting numbers are drawn on them with a felt-tip pen so that, God forbid, they don’t get mixed up. Here you can warm up with a cup of tea:

And under the stands they set up tents with hot meals for spectators. Here you can find a lot of different food and even alcoholic drinks “for sugrevu”. Prices, of course, are higher than usual, but not critical. It all looks and smells delicious:

Under the canopy there is a lot of smoke from numerous grills:

They even roast a whole pig. Soon it will greatly decrease in size, because there is a long line for this roast beef:

Well, what are the Czechs without “klobasa”!

From December 20 to 23, 2018, the 2018-2019 Biathlon World Cup will take place in the Czech Republic. The competition will take place in the town of Nove Mesto na Morave, where thousands of fans from all over the world will come.

Nove Mesto is a town in the region of Ždar nad Sazavou in the Czech Republic. In addition to biathlon in the city, you can see the sights in the well-preserved historical center. These are the Church of St. Cunegonde, the oldest part of which was built in the 14th century, the cemetery of the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, first mentioned in 1596, Novomestsky Castle, the construction of which began in 1589, the old town hall of 1555, the Evangelical Church of 1898, built in neo-style -Renaissance.

How to get to Nove Mesto

By plane

You can purchase tickets for direct flights to Prague, Karlovy Vary, Vienna or Budapest. And then by train or bus get to Nove Mesto na Morave. But the closest to your destination is Prague Airport, and we recommend it to you.

If you have not yet purchased air tickets to Prague, you can use our convenient search form right now. All you need to do is enter your departure and destination points and expected travel dates, and then click “Find flights.” The air ticket search engine will select the optimal route for you and show the minimum price among airlines and air ticket sales agencies.

You can read how to get from the airport to the center of Prague. From Prague itself to Nove Mesto can be reached by train or bus, and also, if you want to see the Czech Republic, you can rent a car (and take it directly at the airport).

By train

So, getting from Prague to Nove Mesto is easy and simple: just 12 km from here is the town of Zdar nad Sazavou, located on the Prague-Brno railway. Trains from Prague leave approximately once an hour.

A ticket from Prague costs about 230 Czech crowns (that's about 700 rubles). Travel time is about 2-2.5 hours. You can find out the train schedule and buy a ticket.

Then it’s about a 25-minute drive from Zdiar by commuter bus to the “Nove Mesto – Nemocnica” stop or by train on the single-track line Zdiar – Tishnov to the “Nove Mesto – Zastavka” stop. A train ticket costs from 28 Czech crowns (about 90 rubles). You can find out the train schedule and buy a ticket.

By car

It should be borne in mind that it is almost impossible to get to the parking lot around the stadium, so in Novo mesto na Moravė there is an intercept parking lot, next to which there are shuttle stops.

Where to stay

About the stadium

The arena is called Vysočina because the highest point in the region is nearby.

You can get to the stadium from the intercept parking lot, near which there will be a shuttle stop. Free buses between the stadium and the main fan locations will be organized within a 15 km radius. The travel itself is free, you will only be asked to show your ticket to the competition.

The shuttle schedule can be viewed on the World Cup website and, based on this, you can plan your accommodation. Thus, there are essentially two ways to get to the stadium - rent a car and leave it in park-and-ride stations, or travel by train and take a shuttle to the stadium. Then you still have to walk to the stadium.

Why you should watch the World Cup in Nove Mesto.

Russian national team composition
Men: Alexander Loginov, Matvey Eliseev, Evgeny Garanichev, Dmitry Malyshko, Anton Babikov, Alexander Povarnitsyn.
Women: Irina Starykh, Evgenia Pavlova, Valeria Vasnetsova, Margarita Vasilyeva, Ekaterina Yurlova, Anastasia Morozova.

Schedule of the stage in Nove Mesto
December 20, Thursday
19.30 - sprint, men
December 21, Friday
19.30 - sprint, women
December 22, Saturday
17.00 - pursuit race, men
19.00 - pursuit race, women
December 23, Sunday
13.45 - mass start, men
16.30 - mass start, women

The final stage of the Biathlon World Cup before the New Year will take place from December 20 to 23 in the Czech Republic of Nove Mesto. There are changes in the Russian national team. In the program of the stage, in comparison with what was in Pokljuka and Hochfilzen - too. Main questions before the stage.

Will there be new faces in the Russian national team?

Yes. The coaching staff of the Russian team announced that, in accordance with the previously stated principle of rotation, changes have occurred in the composition of the national team.

Alexey Slepov and Eduard Latypov went from the men's team to the IBU Cup, and Anton Babikov and Alexander Povarnitsyn were called up from the reserve team instead. Slepov failed all the races in which he participated, and Latypov looked relatively good in his stage of the relay. But in five personal races he has zero points.

There is one change in the women's team - instead of Ulyana Kaisheva, Anastasia Morozova has been called up to the main team. Kaisheva was not ready for the start of the season at all; her inclusion in the team was a coaching decision. Morozova is performing well in the IBU Cup.

What's new in the stage program?

For the first time this season, races will be held from a general start. As is known, athletes from the top 25 of the overall standings plus the five best based on the results of the previous races of the stage are included in them. In this case, it is a classic sprint-pursuit combination. Alexander Loginov will probably run in the men's race, and Matvey Eliseev also has good chances. Irina Starykh will definitely start in the women's race, almost certainly Evgenia Pavlova and Ekaterina Yurlova, and with a high probability Valeria Vasnetsova. Unless, of course, the health of any of the athletes fails.

Will Starykh reach the medal?

The leader of our women's team, Irina Starykh, was incredibly stable in Pokljuka and Hochfilzen. If he continues to perform like this, he will rise even higher from sixth place in the overall standings. By and large, all she needs is a prize place for the result to be not just good, but very good. During her career, she has two podiums at the World Cup stages, but that was five years ago - in Hochfilzen and Annecy.

How will newbies get on?

It will be interesting to see how the athletes called up to the main team will look in the World Cup. Morozova and Babikov are the overall leaders of the IBU Cup. Anton could have returned to the World Cup at the Austrian stage, but a strange thing happened with his non-participation in the relay. Who is right and who is wrong here will eventually become clear. In the meantime, Babikov has an excellent chance to secure a place in the team for the January stages. The same can be said about Alexander Povarnitsyn. Anastasia Morozova makes her debut in the World Cup.

Martin or Johannes?

In Hochfilzen, Martin Fourcade returned to his usual results. In the sprint - silver, in the pursuit - gold. He did not run the relay in Austria. But in the Czech Republic he will run all three races and try to catch up and overtake the current leading Norwegian, Johannes Boe, in the overall standings. However, the younger Be also did not run the relay in Hochfilzen and will defend his leadership in Nove Mesto. So far his superiority is more than solid - 57 points, and excellent chances to celebrate the New Year as a leader.

Kaisa or Dorothea?

Among the women, the fiercest battle for first place in the overall standings was between Dorothea Wierer and Kaisa Mäkäräinen. The Finn is only seven points behind the Italian. And if both continue to run and shoot the same way as in previous races, they will break away even further from their pursuers. And if they don’t continue, then Anastasia Kuzmina, Paulina Fialkova, Monika Hoinisch, and others are ready to intervene in the fight.

Where to watch the races?

Absolutely everyone seems to know the answer to this question. You can watch the race live on the Match and Eurosport channels with Russian commentary; there are many channels on the Internet with commentary in other languages. The only question is a precise schedule and habit.

Route: Minsk - Brno - Nove Mesto na Morave - Minsk

Bus tour to biathlon in Nove Mesto (Czech Republic)

Tour description

Bus tours to the Czech Republic are always affordable. The ratio of price and quality of services is always at its best. Therefore, it is not in vain that the organizers are returning this year Biathlon World Cup stage in Nove Mesto. We have already been to this town both at the World Championships and at the World Cup stages. Now, in the wake of increased spectator interest in this sport, we decided to add this stage to the map of biathlon trips so that everyone can make their dream come true and visit the biathlon stadium. The program of races we want to attend includes women's sprint, pursuit and mass starts. The city itself Nove Mesto na Morave is located in the Vysočina region - an administrative unit of the Czech Republic. The population is just over 10 thousand people. Accordingly, there are problems with accommodation in this city itself. Most biathlon fans travel from nearby cities. We will be located in the suburbs of Brno, 70 km from Vysocina-Arena. Compared to a stadium in Slovenia or Austria, where we also take people, the Vysocina Arena is packed to capacity. The convenient location of the Czech Republic attracts people from all over the world.

Around the arena there are many temporary tents, marquees, and food outlets selling hot sausages, becherevka, and hot dogs.
Thus, the tour is organized as compactly as possible, so as not to involve a large number of working days and to attend interesting races. The night transfer on the first day of the journey will be smoothed out by a rest at the hotel and will help us save daylight hours. If this tour is not suitable for you, be sure to check out all of our offers, or contact us and we will find a suitable one for you.

Biathlon ticket prices:
12/19/2018 - 12/23/2018 stands A,B,D - 1800 CZK
12/19/2018 - 12/23/2018 stands F1, F2, G - 600 CZK
Entrance to the trails is PARTIALLY free.

Trip schedule

1 Have a nice trip

Departure from Minsk at 4.00 on the night of December 20th. Transit through the territory of Belarus, Poland, the Czech Republic. 1100 km. Arrival late in the evening at the hotel. Check-in. Overnight.

2 Czech Republic. Women's sprint

Breakfast. Free time. A trip to the biathlon in Nove Mesto na Morave. Departure at 12.00 from the hotel.
The program includes the women's sprint at 17.00 local time.
Return to the hotel. Overnight.

3 Czech Republic. Pursuit racing

Breakfast. Free time.
A trip to the biathlon in Nove Mesto na Morave. Departure from the hotel at 11.00.
Pursuit race for men at 15.00, for women at 17.00.
Return to the hotel. Overnight.

4 Czech Republic. Mass starts

Breakfast. Check out from the hotel. A trip to the biathlon in Nove Mesto na Morave. Departure from the hotel at 8.30-9.00
The program includes mass start races.
Men - 11.45.
Women - 14.30
After the races, departure to the hotel on the border of the Czech Republic and Poland at 16.00.