April 02, 2010 (Vadsoe, Norway) – Tour de Barents, new multi-stage Norway-Finland event kicks off next Wednesday in Vadsoe, Norway with 5/10 km Classic races. Even though 2009/10 season has been long and demanding, many big names of Cross-Country skiing announced their participation. Double bronze medalist from Vancouver Lukas Bauer, French Jean-Marc Gaillard, Finland’s Sammi Jauhojärvi or Norway’s Odd Bjoern Hjelmeset and Oestien Poelsa Pettersen will take part in the event. On the ladies Kristin Stoermer Steira (NOR), Pirjo Muranen or Riitta-Liisa Roponen will be on the start.

Tour de Barents Schedule

Stage 1 – Wednesday, 7 April – Vadsoe, Norway
– 11.00 Women 5 km Classic, Individual Start
(Senior and Junior)
– 12.00 Men 10 km Classic, Individual Start
(Senior and Junior)

Stage 2 – Thursday, 8 April – Inari Finland
– 17.30 Women juniors 10 km Free, Mass Start
– 18.05 Men juniors 15km Free, Mass Start
– 18.50 Women 10 km Free, Mass Start
– 19.25 Men 15 km Free, Mass Start

Stage 3 – Saturday, 10 April – Rovaniemi Finland
– 13.10 Sprint Qualification Women 1,4 km, Classic
– 13.30 Sprint Qualification Men 1, Classic
– 14.00 Sprint Finals Women 1,4km, Classic
– 14.25 Sprint Finals Men 1,6km, Classic

Stage 4 – Sunday, 11 April – Rovaniemi Finland
– 12.00 Ladies 8,8km Free, Gundersen
– 13.00 Men 13,2km Free, Gundersen

Tour de Barents Start List

Men
– Lari Lehtonen
– Ville-Petteri Saarela
– Lukas Bauer
– Martin Bajcicak
– Jan-Marc Gallard
– Fulvio Scola
– Nicola Morandini
– Niclas Colliander
– Antti Häkämies
– Heikki Palosaari
– Tero Similä
– Jörgen Vikström
– Sami Jauhojärvi
– Mikko Koutaniemi
– Reima Idström
– Espen Mikkelsen
– Joachim Gustafsson
– Johan Gustafsson
– Martin Koukal
– Tomi Lehtola
– Odd Björn Hjelmeset
– Heikki Kopakka
– Janne Stenbäck
– Antti Haahti
– Öystein Pettersen
– Markus Isola
– Morten Harjo Pettersen

Ladies
– Kristen Störmer Steira
– Pirjo Muranen
– Riitta-Liisa Roponen
– Sarah Young
– Rosamund Musgrave
– Maarit Korpi
– Kamila Rajdlova
– Silja Tarvonen
– Katerina Smutna
– Anne Kyllönen
– Ingvild Flugstad Östberg
– Tiina Portti

Juniors Men
– Andrew Young
– Sindre Stefferud
– Fredrik Rosanoff
– Tore Skardal
– Daniel Stock
– Leonid Lodeykin
– Alexey Matveev
– Artur Kuuzik
– Dmitry Digtyarev
– Nikita Komissarov
– Mathias Mietinen
– Oskar Sjölund
– Oskari Jahkola
– Niclas Endresen
– Tor Henrik Balk
– Maren Jakobsen
– Peter Andersen

Juniors Ladies
– Eeva Palosaari
– Krista Lehtola
– Viktoria Zvereva
– Maria Romanenko
– Anastasia Vlasova
– Natalia Zrelova
– Marina Ganyushina
– Victoria Bykova
– Alexandra Bochenkova
– Tuulianni Jussila
– Janina Jatkola
– Kjersti Iversen
– Tine Dahl Andersen
– Åsa Balsvik Valan
– Emma Sjölund
– Pauliina Kietäväinen
– Susanna Saapunki