Hetland On Top In The World Cup Opener

FasterSkierNovember 20, 2005

Norwegian sprinters dominated the longdistane World Cup opener at Beitostolen on Saturday and captured first, second and fifth place in the men’s 15-kilometer classic race.

Source: Langrenn.com

A huge surprise came in the men's race where two Norwegian sprinters swept the top 2 places in the 15km classic. Tor Arne Hetland, who has never been a main contender for a middle-distance race, hammered everyone including his sprint teammate Jens Arne Svartedal, who took second ahead of another surprise podium effort by veteran Slovakian skier Ivan Batory. Pre-race favorite Axel Teichmann was 8th.

This is opening up the possibility of Hetland (or Svartedal) winning the overall World Cup. Another Norwegian sprinter, Eldar Ronning was 5th.

– I had hoped to take over the Yellow jersey with a good placing, but I didn’t believe in victory, said Hetland at the post race pressconference.

He is choosing to view the sprint dominance as a sign that the sprinters have done the right training.

– Four sprinters among the top-five today indicates that we can ski well in longer races with sprint training, says Hetland

Different course
He and Jens Arne Svartedal is not denying that the course was different the most World Cup courses.

— The course was very “busy”, you had to work the entire time. It requires that you have high speed, since there were no big altitude differences, says Svartedal.

He believes that this can explain some of the success for the sprinters.

—We both have an instinct to be more aggressive than others and have trained more speed. That can have made the difference, says Svartedal.

Hetland is saying that he will race more long races in order to stay in shape and might race two races also next weekend in Kuusamo. He will still prioritize the sprint if he has to choose.

Easy waxing
The two medalists didn’t know what happened to the Swedes and the Germans in Saturday’s race.

— The Swedes or the Germans might not have great skis today, but the waxing was pretty simple, says Hetland

	Results:
1	HetlandTor Arne	NOR	40:50.0	0.0
2	SvartedalJens  Arne	NOR	41:07.2	+17.2
3	BatoryIvan	SVK	41:14.8	+24.8	
4	JauhojaerviSami	FIN	41:18.8	+28.8
5	KrezelokJanusz	POL	41:21.9	+31.9
5	RoenningEldar	NOR	41:21.9	+31.9
7	AasenGeir  Ludvig	NOR	41:31.0	+41.0
8	TeichmannAxel	GER	41:33.6	+43.6
9	AngererTobias	GER	41:39.8	+49.8
10	PerrillatChristophe	FRA	41:40.1	+50.1
11	FredrikssonMathias	SWE	41:42.0	+52.0
12	GjerdalenTord  Asle	NOR	41:43.1	+53.1
12	VeerpaluAndrus	EST	41:43.1	+53.1
14	EstilFrode	NOR	41:44.1	+54.1
15	RotchevVassili	RUS	41:46.6	+56.6
16	OndaYuichi	JPN	41:48.2	+58.2
17	Di CentaGiorgio	ITA	41:50.5	+1:00.5
18	BurgermeisterReto	SUI	41:51.1	+1:01.1
19	MaeJaak	EST	41:54.7	+1:04.7
20	LegkovAlexander	RUS	41:55.3	+1:05.3
21	NorthugPetter	NOR	41:55.4	+1:05.4
22	HjelmesetOdd-Bjoern	NOR	41:57.2	+1:07.2
23	BauerLukas	CZE	41:59.5	+1:09.5
24	BulgakovMaxim	RUS	41:59.6	+1:09.6
25	HorntvedtKristian	NOR	42:02.2	+1:12.2
26	ValbusaFulvio	ITA	42:04.5	+1:14.5
27	RousseletAlexandre	FRA	42:05.2	+1:15.2
28	SeifertBenjamin	GER	42:05.6	+1:15.6
29	SantusFabio	ITA	42:09.1	+1:19.1
30	KoukalMartin	CZE	42:09.3	+1:19.3
30	SchluetterAndreas	GER	42:09.3	+1:19.3
32	Piller  CottrerPietro	ITA	42:10.5	+1:20.5
33	GaustadJon  Anders	NOR	42:11.9	+1:21.9
34	FilbrichJens	GER	42:12.8	+1:22.8
35	KreczmerMaciej	POL	42:13.4	+1:23.4
36	SkjeldalKristen	NOR	42:13.7	+1:23.7
37	FredrikssonThobias	SWE	42:14.4	+1:24.4
38	OlssonJohan	SWE	42:14.6	+1:24.6
39	AndresenJan  Egil	NOR	42:18.4	+1:28.4	
40	KozisekDusan	CZE	42:18.6	+1:28.6	
41	SoedergrenAnders	SWE	42:22.1	+1:32.1	
42	MagalJiri	CZE	42:22.4	+1:32.4	
43	TrondsenKrister	NOR	42:23.1	+1:33.1	
44	DementievEvgenji	RUS	42:23.8	+1:33.8	
45	IsometsaeJari	FIN	42:26.0	+1:36.0	
46	BjerkeEspen  Harald	NOR	42:32.0	+1:42.0	
47	SteblerChristian	SUI	42:35.9	+1:45.9	
48	LeybyukRoman	UKR	42:37.8	+1:47.8	
49	BotvinovMikhail	AUT	42:38.3	+1:48.3
50	RuizDiego	SPA	42:42.7	+1:52.7
51	BundiGion  Andrea	SUI	42:43.6	+1:53.6
52	VittozVincent	FRA	42:44.4	+1:54.4
53	JonnierEmmanuel	FRA	42:47.9	+1:57.9
54	SkjaerliBrynjar	NOR	42:49.5	+1:59.5
55	MorigglThomas	ITA	42:52.0	+2:02.0
56	ChecchiValerio	ITA	42:52.5	+2:02.5
57	KveenStig Rune	NOR	42:54.1	+2:04.1
58	SommerfeldtRene	GER	42:55.4	+2:05.4
59	RehemaaAivar	EST	42:59.7	+2:09.7
60	BajcicakMartin	SVK	43:00.2	+2:10.2
61	ImaiHiroyuki	JPN	43:03.5	+2:13.5
62	DolidovichSergei	BLR	43:04.8	+2:14.8
63	ClaraRoland	ITA	43:05.1	+2:15.1
64	OhtonenOlli	FIN	43:12.1	+2:22.1
65	NaruskPriit	EST	43:14.8	+2:24.8
66	EderJohannes	AUT	43:19.7	+2:29.7
67	NousiainenVille	FIN	43:28.2	+2:38.2
68	NorinArtem	RUS	43:29.2	+2:39.2
69	LasutkinAlexander	BLR	43:31.2	+2:41.2
70	SperlMilan	CZE	43:33.6	+2:43.6
71	GeliangLi	CHN	43:38.4	+2:48.4
72	FischerRemo	SUI	43:41.1	+2:51.1
73	HofstadTore  Ruud	NOR	43:48.9	+2:58.9
74	GumenyakMikhail	UKR	44:00.7	+3:10.7
75	VilarrublaVicente	SPA	44:26.0	+3:36.0
76	StsiapanauYauheni	BLR	44:26.6	+3:36.6
77	MartsyvVitaly	UKR	44:33.6	+3:43.6
78	YeTian	CHN	45:06.8	+4:16.8
79	MalakMichal	SVK	45:09.0	+4:19.0
80	Im-HunChoi	KOR	45:18.4	+4:28.4
81	SimBen	AUS	47:19.3	+6:29.3
82	Thor OlsenJonas	DAN	47:40.8	+6:50.8

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