Please. I don't see much snow in that pic. Getting stuck in deep snow is quite common even for snowmobiles, the ski resort rescue units carry snowshoes for backup for example. A Pugsley would reach maybe 5-10 meters from the cabin door there, depending on how far you can throw it.

Elite skating skiers finish a demanding 50km track in about 2 hours. Elite classic skiers take maybe 15-20 minutes longer. Like GriddleCakes said, track can still be soft enough to make it difficult to bike. In ideal conditions, biking would probably be faster. Anything less than ideal, and either style skiers would be faster. Also depends on who's skiing and who's biking.

We also have "nature tracks" that are prepared for classic skiing style only. They're just wide enough for one or two classic tracks plus enough prepared width so the poles won't sink in. Narrow tracks are better in thick or delicate forest, or in difficult terrain, where it's impossible to draw the flat "highway" that two classic tracks and a wide skating lane require. On the narrow track, classic skiers pwn everyone, including Chuck Norris.

Then of course there's the truly classic deep snow xc skiing, no prepared tracks at all, just wide and long forest skis. There's not much competition there as the only viable alternative in those conditions is snowshoeing.

--J

[edit] Just came to think of it, a Nordic triathlon of sorts might be interesting: winter swimming, a stretch of winter biking and a xc ski leg. [/edit]