Madshus racers take home a handsome bouquet of podiums from Toppidrettsveka, including the overall victory for the weekend, looking promising for the upcoming Olympic season.
The annual summer roller ski festival in northwestern Norway featured four races in three days, and was once again open for international racers.
Toppidrettsveka 2021 opened with a marathon race on Thursday, August 19, where Madshus racers parked the competitors: Astrid Øyre Slind truly set the standard, winning the 55-kilometer double-pole race in Hitra by almost two and a half minutes. Madshus’ rising World Cup talent Hedda Østberg Amundsen claimed second place, and beat Olympic-legend-turned-long-distance-pro Marit Bjørgen by nearly a minute and a half.
In the men’s 55-kilometer double-pole race, Madshus rookie Sivert Wiig clinched second place, ahead of the entire Ski Classics elite and only seven seconds behind marathon pro Max Novak.
Friday, August 20, featured two uphill mass start events midday: a double-pole race and a skate race, both on the same brutal 3-kilometer course from Årvågsfjorden to Brekka in Aure. In the women’s skate race, Madshus rising young team claimed both first and second place with Karoline Simpson-Larsen 15 seconds ahead of Elena Rise Johnsen. In the men’s skate race, Harald Østberg Amundsen finished second and nailed his second podium for the weekend.
Moving on to the sprints on Friday evening, Rise Johnsen was second in the qualifier and won every heat including the final, bagging her second podium for the day.
On Saturday, August 21, Rise Johnsen capped her race weekend with another podium, winning the thrilling sprint finish in the 15-kilometer skiathlon at Knyken. With first place in the skiathlon, the 21-year-old also secured the overall victory for the three-day roller ski festival.
Complete results, all events Toppidrettsveka 2021
Inge Scheve
Inge is FasterSkier's international reporter, born and bred in Norway. A cross-country ski racer and mountain runner, she also dabbles on two wheels in the offseason. If it's steep and long, she loves it. Follow her on Twitter: @IngeScheve.
