Two Swedes competed in Tour de Trœndelag last week. Petter Northug and his teammates were beaten by both Anders Sœdergren and Mathias Fredriksson in the three stage long tour.
The Swedish skiers were too tough for the Norwegian national team during Tour de Trœndelag. The Swedes dominated the last leg of the Tour, the 15 kilometer freestyle rollerski race.
In a class by themselves
– The Swedes were in a class by themselves in the freestyle part. There was nothing we could do about that, says Stig Rune Kveen.
Kveen raced well in the Tour and could celebrate a fourth place after being beaten by teammate Petter Northug in the finish sprint
– I’m very happy with my effort. It was good to see that my body is responding. The running part went a lot easier than expected, says Kveen.
Beaten by his brother
Home favorite Petter Northug struggled on the second leg of the tour and was beaten by his younger brother Thomas by 4 seconds in the 5.6 kilometer long hill climb up Mosviksenderen. He climbed a lot up on the resultlist however following a very good 15-kilometer freestyle rollerski race and ended up as best Norwegian in third place overall.
– No problem having the Swedes win rollerski races in the summer, said Northug after the race.
The women’s event was won by Marthe Kristoffersen. She toyed with the competition and won by more than two minutes to Kine Beate BjœrnÃ¥s.
Overall results of Tour de Trœndelag 2007:
Men
1. Anders Södergren
2. Mathias Fredriksson
3. Petter Northug
4. Stig Rune Kveen
5. Petter Eliassen
6. Martin Jonsrud Sundby
7. Tore Ruud Hofstad
8. Anders Myran Steen
9. Eirik Sæves
10. Ole Marius Bach
11. Simen Østensen
12. Eirik Kurland Olsen
13. Jens Arne Svartdal
14. Eirik Lorentsen
15. Jonas Kolstad
Women
1. Marthe Kristoffersen
2. Kine Beate BjœrnÃ¥s
3. Kristin Gausen
4. Heidi Bye
Source: Langrenn.com
