. world ski news : Cologna, Kuitunen win Tour de Ski titles - 05 January 2009 - 11:45
VAL DI FIEMME, Italy (AP) -- Dario Cologna of Switzerland and Virpi Kuitunen of Finland won the Tour de Ski cross country titles on Sunday.
Axel Teichmann of Germany races during a cross-country ski Men's 10k event, 7th stage of the World Cup's annual Tour de Ski series in Val di Fiemme , Italy , Sunday Jan. 4 , 2009. He arrived third in the overall competition of the tour the ski. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Cologna captured the 11-kilometer pursuit, and Kuitunen won the 9K pursuit.
Finland's Virpi Kuitunen races to win a cross-country ski Ladie's 9k event, 7th stage of the World Cup's annual Tour de Ski series in Val di Fiemme , Italy , Sunday Jan. 4 , 2009. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Cologna, who dominated the seven-event Tour de Ski series, won his race in 35 minutes, 12 seconds. Petter Northug of Norway outsprinted Axel Teichmann in the final 100 meters to finish second in 36:11
Dario Cologna of Switzerland reacts after winning a cross-country ski Men's 10k event, 7th stage of the World Cup's annual Tour de Ski series in Val di Fiemme , Italy , Sunday Jan. 4 , 2009. He won the overall competition of the tour the ski. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Kuitunen won the women's race in 37:26.9, a day after winning the 10K classic race.
Finland's Virpi Kuitunen races followed by her teammate Aino Kaisa Saarinen fiished second, to win a cross-country ski Ladie's 9k event, seven stage of the World Cup's annual Tour de Ski series in Val di Fiemme , Italy , Sunday Jan. 4 , 2009. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Aino Kaisa Saarinen was 7.2 seconds behind Kuitunen, and finished second in the Tour de Ski standings. Petra Majdic of Slovenia was third overall.
Kuitunen attacked from the front and led for most of the race. But with about three miles left, Saarinen made her move and broke away. Kuitunen rallied with less than a mile to go.
The Associated Press
Sunday January 4, 2009 1:32 PM
Finland's Virpi Kuitunen shows the Tour De Ski trophy after winning a cross-country ski Ladie's 9k event, seven stage of the World Cup's annual Tour de Ski series , in Val di Fiemme , Italy , Sunday Jan. 4 , 2009. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Dario Cologna of Switzerland celebrates on the podium after his victory in a cross-country ski Men's 10k event, 7th stage of the World Cup's annual Tour de Ski series in Val di Fiemme , Italy , Sunday Jan. 4 , 2009. He won the overall competition of the tour the ski. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)