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 skied for him a great 50 kilometer in Holmenkollen on Saturday last week. Classic 50 kilometer isn’t his event at all. But he fought hard, and can thank Sami Jauhojärvi of Finland for his good result (12th place for Northug). </p>
<p>Northug stuck to the Finn like glue for most of the race. Sami started 90 seconds behind Petter, but the way Northug waited for the Finn was unusual. </p>
<p>Northug stopped to pee.</p>
<p>Northug was all the way back in 43rd place before the Finn caught him and the explanation was as simple as it was necessary. </p>
<p>– I stopped completely and waited for those who were closing in from behind. It was Martin Koukal and Sami Jauhojärvi, says Petter Northug </p>
<p>– You stopped and waited for more than one minute? </p>
<p>– Yes, I took a pee-break. There was no point in skiing by myself, I could just as well wait and have rested my muscles. I wasn’t tired since we hadn’t skied that far, says Northug. </p>
<p>The pee-break happened after about 7 kilometers of skiing. </p>
<p>And Northug hung on like a wasp, even when he was barely able to stay up on his skis on the last lap. </p>
<p>– I surprised myself on the last lap. I was dizzy and barley able to stand up, so that was good. </p>
<p>And he was tired afterwards. He was lying on the ground in the finish area for several minutes after he had crossed the finish line before some guards put a jacket over him and helped him walk away. He couldn’t remember ever being this tired.</p>
<p>– I have 14 years to win here. </p>
<p>He is valuing his 12th place in Holmenkollen. But Northug doesn’t know if he will ever be able to win the most prestigious 50 kilometer race on the World Cup. </p>
<p>– Odd-Bjœrn won (for the first time) today. So I have about 14 years to achieve it, says Northug</p>
<p>And he won’t characterize the Holmenkollen 50 kilometer as a kid’s race (Northug yelled “kidsrace†when he crossed the finish line as the winner in a Norwegian championship race this winter).</p>
<p>– This is a manhood race for men with hair on their chest. I don’t have that, but have hopefully grown a few downs today, says Petter Northug. </p>
<p><I>Editor’s note (Torbjorn Karlsen): I remember Jim Curran of Jackson Hole Wyoming told me that he was leading a group of skiers in the West Yellowstone 50 kilometer race sometime in the nineties, when he had to pee really badly. So he started to pee at the top of a downhill (still in the lead), but was unfortunately not done when he reached the bottom on the hill, where the next uphill started. His competitors were however very nice and let Jim place his skis in a herringbone position and complete his business, before they resumed racing with Jim still in the lead of the pack. </I></p>
<p>Source: Langrenn.com</p>
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