Temperatures were in the low 60s; puddles were out and about; as were volunteers shoveling to keep parts of the 3.3k prologue course covered.
Ben Ogden, pictured above - fresh from 2 NCAA Championship wins and a 12th place in the Olympic sprint - cruised to the win. Anna Bizyukova - fresh from an NCAA Chamoionship podium - easily captured the women's win. Lucy, travel worn and without time for structuring skis, finished tenth. Not a great finish, but given her two races this past month were a 30k and a 50k, a good reintroduction to the short and fast racing she will need next week at the biathlon nationals.
Given much better conditions at Mount Van Hoevenberg; the rain predicted for Rikert; Lucy decided to opt out of the remaining two races, and train at MVH.
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