Junior Challenged Hilde G. Pedersen To The Finishline
The Norwegian junior nationalteam’s double pole test up the VIP-road at Lillehammer ended up as duel between junior skier Therese Johaug (18) and World Cup veteran Hilde Gjermundshaug Pedersen (41).
Source: Langrenn.com
The Norwegian junior nationalteam ended their recent dryland camp at Sjusjoen with a double pole test up the VIP-road at Lillehammer. The VIP road is the road between the Birkebeineren Motel up to the Birkebeineren Olympic stadium. The course is 2.4-k long, all uphill and only double poling is used.
A race between Hilde GP and Johaug
Veteran World Cup skier and just retired (?) Hilde G. Pedersen’s daughter Ida is a member of the junior national team and Hilde had decided to do the test as well (for fun?). Hilde took as expected the lead from the start, but junior skier Therese Johaug surprisingly stayed with her.
– The course is extremely hard, but it was exciting to hang on to Hilde all the way to the finish, said junior Johaug.
Hilde GP and Therese skied together the entire test. They traded being in the lead and only 2 seconds separated the two at the finish.
– I’m impressed by Therese, a very strong performance, concluded junior national team coach Fredrik Aukland.
Johaug believes that the result shows that her strength training this summer is paying off.
– I have trained hard and lots of strength this summer, and I feel that this proves that I have become stronger, says Therese
Hilde struggled
– A great performance by Therese. I didn’t really want to be beaten by a junior and I had to push my limit to the max and it was barely enough. This was hard for someone who has retired, says Hilde GP.
-Yes, you have indeed retired?
– Yes, I have retired and I’m in bad shape, ensures Hilde
Tighter among the boys
Johaug and Hilde GP were in a class by themselves among the girls and were more than 2 minutes ahead of third place. It was a lot tighter at the top among the boys.
Jacob Ziesler was strongest among the boys, but was challenged to the end by both Joachim Jacobsen and Sjur Rœthe. They ended up only 1 second behind Ziesler. Harald Berge was 4 seconds behind them in 4th place.
Everyone skied their hardest at the end of a great camp week, said coach Aukland.
Double pole test on the VIP-road Boys Jacob Ziesler 12:03,0 Joacim Jacobsen 12:04,0 Sjur Rœthe 12:04,1 Harald Berge 12:08,0 Bjœrnar Larsen 12:27,0 Hans Jœrgen KvÃ¥le 13:24,0 Øyvind M. Fjeld 13:30,0 Marius Vegheim 13:37,0 Tor HÃ¥kon Hellebostad 14:08,0 Marius Andreassen 14:25,0 Martin Nordrum 14:25,2 Simen A. Sveen 15:50,0 Edvard Hamilton 15:15,0 Rune M. ØdegÃ¥rd 16:15,0 Ole Fr. Qvale 18:42,0 Girls Hilde G. Pedersen 14:15,0 Terese Johaug 14:17,0 Ida G. Pedersen 16:23,0 Hilde Lauvhaug 16:24,0 Marte Kristoffersen 16:28,0 Celine B. Lie 16:51,0 Inger Liv B. Nilsen 17:28,0 Eli G. Pedersen 17:49,0 Martine U. Weng 18:33,0 Bente Steira 19:00,0 Karoline B. Grœvdal 20:32,0 Marte M. Hansen 20:47,0 Ida H. Bakken 23:03,0 Hanne M. Lie 23:15,0
