Sundby won the Tour de Ski: – It feels much better to win this year – Romsdals Budstikke

the Alpe Cermis / OSLO: Even before the Tour de Ski started began discussion on the prestigious final stage: The dreaded “monster hill.”

“How much weight has to say?” and “Who can retrieve seconds?” were two of the questions abounded.

Sunday, however, had truth hour arrived. Now it was man against man. And Martin Johnsrud Sundby proved once again that the strongest – just as he did in last year’s Tour de Ski.

Sundby says that it feels even better to win this year than it did last year.

– This victory feels much better, because the competition this year is extremely much harder. There were so many good skiers this year. I knew it would be very smoothly, says Sundby in an English-language interview shown on NRK.

– This year I had the pressure on me, I think it is fantastic lovely to meet, says Sundby NRK.

Sundby won 34.5 seconds ahead of Petter Northug, having shaken free from Mosvik no outset of the ground.

– It has been a fantastic showdown with Petter and other fantastic skiers. Today I am a happy man, says Sundby.

Northug – I had gone on the wall

Northug predisposed race wisely, and was never real threatened by Russian Evgeniy Belov, who was number three.

– I noticed that Martin put good speed. If I had been with where I had enough faced the wall. Then it might have been tough to defend second place, said Northug NRK.

Swedish Calle Halfvarsson tend to miss podiums with small margins, and had to settle for being number four also Sunday. Halfvarsson went along with Belov in large parts of the race, but the Russian pulled from Swede the last kilometer.

After the competition admits Halfvarsson that he was too keen to recoup Northug.

– I used a little too much effort in the beginning of the ground. I should perhaps have charged me into Belov. I focused a little too much on Petter in the beginning, but we did not he fully, says Halfvarsson to SVT.

Niklas Dyrhaug was number seven, while Chris Jespersen was number nine.

predicted a dead heat

Martin Johnsrud Sundby started three seconds behind Petter Northug and the duo came together into the ski hill.

It was expected that Northug and Sundby would follow a piece upward, but already at the start of the ground had Northug drop Sundby. The entire 2.5 precipitous kilometers remained when Sundby got a weed.

– I tried to go fast into the ground along with Martin. When I came into the ground plan was to find my own rhythm, says Northug.

– I predict a dead heat, said Sundby Saturday if the duel of the ski hill.

Was it a game for the gallery? Sundby did anyhow prediction ashamed immediately Sunday.

Petter Northug was largely behind the defense then won the pursuit in Toblach Thursday. Sunday however, it was clear from the outset that Northug had a different tactic.

On the surfaces towards the ski hill was mostly Northug who towed Sundby.

– Petter went incredibly fast I was a little worried before the ground, says Sundby finish.

Northug drive made hatch Halfvarsson and Belov, who chased around a half minutes behind, was greater. Northug lost however enormously to competitors once it started to go up.

The pace of Northug indicated that also podium position was in jeopardy for a few seconds behind chased Halfvarsson and Belov. Northug had apparently predisposed competition wisely and managed to stabilize the distance to the duo.

On the last kilometer jerked however Belov from Halfvarsson and Russian began the hunt for Northug.

7. and last stage of the Tour de Ski, 9 km Pursuit free technique:

1) Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Norway 29.27,4, 2) Petter Northug, Norway 0.34,5 min. behind, 3) Evgeniy Belov, Russia 0.51,1, 4) Calle Halfvarsson, Sweden 1.04,2, 5) Dario Cologna, Switzerland 2.06,6, 6) Roland Clara, Italy 2.32,2, 7) Niklas Dyrhaug Norway 2.37, 5, 8) Alexej Poltoranin, Kazakhstan 2.59,7, 9) Chris Andre Jespersen, Norway 3.09,3, 10) Maxim Vylegzjanin, Russia 3.25,7.

Other Norwegian: 14) Simen Andreas Sveen 4.45,8, 18) Eldar Rønning 5.29,9.

The list is identical to the final position in the Tour de Ski after seven stages. Total received Sundby time 3.26.42,9.

Best times Sunday:

1) Clara 29.13,0, 2) Maurice Manificat, France 0.02, 1 min. behind, 3) Sundby 0.11,3, 4) Toni Livers, Switzerland 0.16,9, 5) Sveen 0.24,8, 6) Belov 0.30,2, 7) Jespersen 0.33,3, 8) Stanislav Volzhentsev, Russia 0.33,4, 9) Cologna 0.34,4, 10) Dyrhaug 0.39,6.

Other Norwegian: 13) Northug 0.48,9, 23) Rønning 1.27,9.