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Following a two-week break after the exhausting Tour de Ski, the FIS World Cup tour reignited in Les Rousses, France just down valley from the extreme-sports Mecca of Chamonix. Ironically, a number of the world’s best would not be on the starting line for the Les Rousses 10 k Freestyle Interval Start; Norway’s prime contenders opted to sign up for the world’s most competitive ski race: the Norwegian National Championships taking place this weekend in Gaasbu, Norway.
Friday would be the Norwegian National Sprint Championship (won by Even Northug). Distance races are to follow over the weekend, likely to be dominated by World Cup Overall contender, Harald Oestberg Amundsen. The competitor made most conspicuous by his absence was Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR), who would not be toeing any starting lines this weekend. The explanation for his absence (from both Norwegian Nationals and the World Cup in Les Rousses) was offered by Dr. Ove Feragen—physician to the Norwegian National Team: “Johannes has not recovered from the Tour de Ski,” Feragen offered. “He is still not training normally.”
Evidently, the trend continues this season in prioritizing the upcoming World Championships over the World Cup. Such is the pattern in a season when the most ski-crazy nation is hosting the biggest ski event. Klaebo stays home while the rest of the skiing world continues to spin.

Norway’s hopes in the Les Rousses World Cup would rest on the shoulders of Simen Hegstad Kreuger, Iver Tildheim Andersen, and Paal Golberg, a team comprised of an Olympic gold medalist, a World Cup event winner, and a former Tour de Ski champion. Ironically, those skiers don’t represent Norway’s A Team. Even so, Norway would be well represented, and seemed sure to vie for the podium.
But the wonderful story for American ski fans was the podium finish of Ben Ogden. An early leader at all mid-race checkpoints, Ogden (better known as a sprint contender) held on for his first World Cup distance podium, claiming third place behind Andersen and Golberg. While a number of contenders were missing from today’s startlist, Ogden will be justifiably proud of a result that saw his name topping finishers like Kreuger, William Poromaa (SWE), Edvin Anger (SWE), Mika Vermeulen (AUT), Jules Lapierre (FRA), Andrew Musgrave (GBR), Hugo Lapalus (FRA), and a terrific finish from Victor Lovera (FRA) in seventh.
“This morning, I was thinking about being conservative in the first K,” said Ogden. “Because it was, like, ALL uphill—definitely not my strength. I’ve found that my best Distance results come on days when I start hard and just sort of keep it. I’m definitely fired up to hang on and have a fast last K; it’s also the easiest to ski fast when you know you’re doing well. I had good intel to know that I was fighting to be on the podium, so I really dug deep in the last K and found a few more seconds. That was pretty critical. I wouldn’t say it was necessarily part of the plan, but it all worked out.”
Among Americans, Kevin Bolger started fast, hanging on for a career-highlight 28th place finish. Other finishers included JC Schoonmaker 31st, Luke Jager 45th, Hunter Wonders 48th. Canadian finishers included Olivier Leveille 24th and Remi Drolet 42nd.

Les Rousses World Cup 10 k Interval Start
The Les Rousses 10 k course followed three 3.3 kilometer laps, a course that climbed very quickly from the starting line to the top of the steepest climb on the World Cup Tour. On hard-packed snow, and with temperatures just below freezing, Ogden was one of the earlier starters (wearing bib #19). On numerous memorable occasions, Ogden has been a fast starter; sometimes, even catastrophically so. In Les Rousses, Ogden again started quick, and was the leader among early starters at mid-race checkpoints: 1.5, 2.0, 2.3, 3.3 kilometers. This time, though, no catastrophes occurred. Ogden maintained his torrid pace, and was only surpassed at the halfway point by Norwegian skate specialist, Andersen.

Prior to the race, Bolger had light-heartedly stated that his goal was to briefly sit in the leader’s chair, a circumstance made possible by his #2 starting position. Ironically, starter #1—France’s Victor Lovera—skied the race of his life, narrowly denying Bolger his chance to sit on the throne.
“As a sprinter getting a seat in the leader’s chair isn’t a thing,” laughed Bolger. “I knew today there was a chance to make that happen, so I set out with that in my mind. But Bib 1 (Lovera) had a ripper of a race so I didn’t get the chance, unfortunately.”
“A top 30 at a World Cup distance has always been a goal for me,” Bolger continued. “Now I get to cross that off my list of goals. Its hard to say what this will do for my future strategies…right now its kind of out of my hands. All I can do it take advantage of the races I do get and race fast- and go from there.”
Ultimately, Ogden (starting in bib 19) would displace Lovera in the leader’s chair, there to await the results of later finishers. Andersen posted a faster time at 8.9 kilomteers, some 11 seconds faster than Ogden. Andersen sprinted across the line soon thereafter, posting a time 9.1 seconds faster than Ogden, whose early pacing now appeared less foolhardy and more intelligently aggressive.
“As far as the ‘weak’ World Cup field . . . whattaya gonna do? It’s still a World Cup!” said Ogden. “You’ve gotta capitalize, you’ve gotta make hay while the sun shines! I’m fired up to do that. My strategy is always to race as fast as I can in races that I race in. Today was one of those, so psyched to get it done.”

Golberg also managed to squeak in ahead of Ogden, but Kreuger fell short in his pursuit of the American, finishing an additional 9.2 seconds behind Ogden.
In the absence of Amundsen, Kreuger took over the lead in the World Cup Distance standings; it’s going to be a complicated set of negotiations to pick the Norwegian team for the World Championships, a situation acknowledged by Andersen in his post race interview:
“At least now I have a chance to go (to World Championships) maybe,” said Andersen. “So, we’ll see . . .”
In the awards ceremony, Andersen removed his cap for the playing of his Norwegian National Anthem (Golberg and Ogden quickly followed suit), a show of pride and respect often overlooked in the world of winter sport. It remains to be seen whether the Norwegian Ski Federation will pay Andersen a similar measure of respect when the time comes to choose the participants in the upcoming World Championships.
Men’s Interval Start RESULTS


John Teaford
John Teaford—the Managing Editor of FasterSkier — has been the coach of Olympians, World Champions, and World Record Holders in six sports: Nordic skiing, speedskating, road cycling, track cycling, mountain biking, triathlon. In his long career as a writer/filmmaker, he spent many seasons as Director of Warren Miller’s annual feature film, and Producer of adventure documentary films for Discovery, ESPN, Disney, National Geographic, and NBC Sports.