Sunday’s City Biathlon Dresden looks to be an exciting second round of rollerski biathlon following Norway’s Blinkfestivalen two weeks ago, with eleven Milano Cortina medalists in the field led by Pursuit Gold medallists Lisa Vittozzi and Martin Ponsiluoma.

The men’s field could produce another nail-biter like 2025 when Eric Perrot sprinted down the home stretch, surprising and stealing victory from teammate Quentin Fillon Maillet. Although Fillon Maillet is not in the field due to the arrival of his first child this week, Perrot is back and ready to duel with the speedy Ponsiluoma and sharpshooting Sturla Holm Laegreid.

Men’s Favorite: Ponsiluoma, Perrot, or Laegreid?

Ponsiluoma comes to Dresden fresh off a Swedish Summer Championships double this past weekend in Oestersund, highlighted by an 8-second sprint win over Sebastian Samulsson. Perrot returns to defend his title from last year and get back to his winning ways after Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen outsprinted the 2026 World Cup Total Score champion by .8 and one second in the two Blink competitions.

Laegreid, the winner of four individual and a relay medals at Milano Cortina and a mere four seconds behind Perrot in the Blink Mass Start is just as eager to get atop the podium. While the track layout may favour Ponsiluoma’s speed, Laegreid’s gaudy 92% shooting is likely to keep him in the chase.

Beyond this trio, that owns 12 career Olympic and 27 career IBU World Championships medals, the German duo of Philipp Nawrath and Justus Strelow have the potential to challenge. Same goes for a couple of veterans in the form of the 36-year-old Lukas Hofer and the 39-year-old Jakov Fak, both owners of multiple Olympic medals.

City Biathlon Win Number Three for Lisa Vittozzi?

The women’s field may not be quite as deep but it will be no walk in the park for Olympic Champion Vittozzi, a two-time City Biathlon winner. Vittozzi has a history of success on rollerskis including victory in last fall’s inaugural Loop One Festival in Munich. Vittozzi recently spoke to Biathlonworld about the fire she still has for biathlon, explaining why she chose to return for another season.

The challengers include last year’s City Biathlon champion Lotte Lie, and several other 2026 Olympic medallists. Lie’s 2025 victory came in a photo-finish after closing fast in the last loop to outsprint Karoline Offigstad Knotten.

The shooting range could determine this year’s winner with Vittozzi, Lie, Olympic Bronze medallist Tereza Vobornikova and Milano Cortina Relay Silver medallist Anna Magnusson regularly closing around 89% of their targets last season. This group matches well up against German sharpshooter and Olympic Bronze medallist Vanessa Voigt, who shot clean at Dresden last year, just missing the podium. Rounding out the women’s line-up are surprise Olympic 15 km Bronze medallist Lora Hristova and German Olympian Janina Hettich-Walz. Just yesterday another Olympic star, 2022 Mass Start Gold medalist Justine Braisaz-Bouchet upped the quality of the women’s field after was Amy Baserga dropped out of the Dresden event.

Photos: IBU/Ola Wizor, Archive, Nordic Focus