- The question of whether money should be clarified before the Tour de Ski starts – Adresseavisen

– There should be consensus around the distribution of prize money at the last meeting before the Tour de Ski in Oberstdorf starts. It should not be something they sit and discuss before the penultimate stage, says Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, former World Champion in cross country, now cross expert in TV 2.

For around a year ago, tactics and prize money a theme in the Norwegian camp in the Tour de Ski, after Chris Jespersen, who felt strong, was not allowed to try to enter Martin Johnsrud Sundby on the long penultimate leg from Cortina to Toblach.

The assessment was that it was utaktisk for Norway that a Norwegian runner should take foreigners up to another Norwegian, and so eventually destroy what looked like a relatively safe victory for Sundby.

Think Jespersen will run on

When cross season started in November, was prize money and Tour de Ski a theme again. Jespersen stated that he did not want to have such a domestique role again without getting paid for it.

– Chris can participate and compete at the top of the Tour de Ski if he is allowed to go as he wants to go. Last year, he was not completely satisfied with getting a stall order (not to retaliate Sundby). He gets such an order again, I think he does not care about it, says reformulation.

– Are not they agree in advance, I think Chris will chase max. Not the most because of the money, because when you sit like grandfather and will tell about your career, it’s placements are paramount. I think Chris regrets very much that he saved himself last year, continues world champion in 2007.

– All should help each other

– The tactics we’ll see an eventually. When one is on a team, you have to take responsibility for each other. Sometimes you are on the donor side of help, other times you are on the receiving end, says Trond Nystad, coach of men’s national team.

Martin Johnsrud Sundby won both the World Cup and Tour de Ski last season. Overall he got 1,226,700 dollars in prize money. Jespersen, who was number two in the last Tour de Ski, received 473,500 dollars in prize money in 2013/14 season.

The coach says that it is up to each individual athlete to go for himself at the start of the Tour de Ski, so one should see an how the development will be.

– Is there a Norwegian in the top, we should not destroy ourselves. But we’re not going to do something great number of tactical allocations before it is important, says Nystad.

– Should the prize money at the Tour de Ski divided equally so that people will be willing to sacrifice their own chances his team-mate?

– It may well be. But in a layer should all help each other anyway. In a season it evens out, says Nystad.

Belief in Cologna

Both Chris Jespersen (2nd place a year ago) and Sjur Røthe (5th place for a year side) are strong candidates to challenge defending champion Sundby for victory in the Tour de Ski which starts Saturday. In addition, Dario Cologna, Alexander Legkov, Calle Halfvarsson, Maxim Vylegzjanin and not least Petter Northug strong candidates for overall victory.

– My favorite is Dario Cologna. I think he will contend, says Sjur Røthe.