Interview with Norway’s Petter Northug in Canmore at Ski Tour Canada

Petter Northug (NOR) in the controversial CL Sprint final © Nordic Focus

March 10, 2016 (Canmore, Alta.) – Going into the final two races of the inaugural Ski Tour Canada, Norwegian star, Petter Northug, is in second overall behind Sergey Ustiugov of Russia, the current leader by 47.3 seconds. A celebrity in his native Norway, Northug is renowned for both his skiing prowess and his strong and colourful personality.

Ola Vigen Hattestad (l) and Petter Northug (NOR) © Nordic Focus

This includes choosing not to contest the Spring CL final on Stage 5 of the Tour as the legendary Northug “raced” to the finish at a leisurely pace, a whopping 2:15 behind Federico Pelligrino’s 3:46 winning time. Speculation on his non-race ranged from saving energy for the next day’s 30km skiathlon, to not wishing to attend the awards ceremony that evening. SkiTrax managed to catch with the controversial Norwegian for a few minutes on Tour’s second rest day.

(l-r) Petter Northug (NOR), Emil Iversen (NOR) and Sergey Ustiugov (RUS) © Nordic Focus,

How have you been liking Canada?
Petter Northug: It’s been good. I’ve been having a good time here, skiing in new places. For the last week we’ve been back in Canmore – it’s nice to be back.

So you have skied in Canmore before?
PN: Yeah, I was here in 2008 and the plan was to be here also before the Olympics in 2010 as well but we didn’t make it.

What’s your plan for the remaining two stages?
PN: My plan is to try to attack tomorrow (May 11). To try to get as good of a gap as possible before the end. That’s my goal.

Petter Northug (NOR) © Nordic Focus

Some say that you “sandbagged” the Sprint CL final in Canmore – what was your strategy behind skiing a leisurely “final sprint”?
PN: Yeh, you get very good pain when you’re in the finals. There’s not so many seconds different from sixth to second or third in the sprints.

So it was strategic to save yourself for the remaining races?
PN: Yes, it was to save power for the next, last races.

I read that you were enjoying your anonymity in Canada – can you tell us more about that?
PN: It’s good to be here, on the other side, and compete. But there have been a lot of people in the stadium, a lot of people out cheering. We’re happy for that also.

(l-r) Petter Northug (NOR), Sergey Ustiugov (RUS) and Emil Iversen (NOR) © Nordic Focus

Drammen sprint (l-r) Ola Vigen Hattestad (NOR), Petter Northug (NOR) and Eirik Brandsdal (NOR) © Nordic Focus

 

7 Comments For This Post

1. xcskier22, Montana, says:
   March 11th, 2016 at 1:07 pm

   Good that you got an interview out of him, at least, but you should have gone further. Don’t be afraid. He deserves harder questions!

2. sporto1, AB, Canada says:
   March 11th, 2016 at 4:47 pm

   Why such an outcry when an XC skier (or team) uses common Grand Tour cycling strategy? If there was an incentive to sprint for the win, the Norwegians would have sprinted for the win. The bigger questions should be: ‘Why was there no incentive to sprint for the win?’ (i.e. inadequate bonus seconds, the WC Sprint Crown was decided and the prize ceremony timing was bunk) and ‘What was the thought process behind Canmore having a night ceremony on Tuesday night before the longest stage of the Tour?’. Was the expectation the athletes spent a few more hours on their feet futzing around Canmore mid-way through the Tour? Have you ever seen a cycling tour leader or contender wandering around the host village at night signing autographs and taking selfies? There are 150 other skiers at the Canadian Tour – spend some pixels highlighting them rather than complaining about recovery tactics.

3. xcskier22, Montana, says:
   March 11th, 2016 at 5:55 pm

   Canmore isn’t that big. You can virtually walk from one end of the town to the next. Not saying it’s smart to stay on your feet and walk and visit everything that Canmore has to offer before some of the biggest races of the season, particularly at altitude and after such a long, tiring season, but it’s not like you are in Vancouver, going to the medal ceremonies, having to drive a ways from the Olympic village in Whistler. The Norwegians are famous for pulling stunts like this. They hardly ever do non-central European/Scandinavian world cups. The last time the world cups were held in Canada, none of the top distance guys were there, only a handful of their sprinters. Same thing in the 2010 Canmore world cups, right before Vancouver. They conveniently decided not to show up, ‘saving energy’ for the Olympics. Disrespecting the organization that works tirelessly to promote the sport in a country where it is not that big. I don’t always agree with Jack Sasseville, but he was SPOT ON here.

   Oh, and comparing this to a grand tour is a little strange. Of course cyclists aren’t going to spend too much time, they spend 3-8 hours in the saddle. The skiers don’t. They also don’t have to worry about waxing and preparing the wax tents, cabins, testing, etc. Particularly big teams like Norway’s, who have more wax technicians, testers, coaches, assistants and probably personal coaches there with them. They are like the New York Yankees. Pampered children that complain anytime something they feel isn’t given to them. They complain about food as well. That’s another story as well. They eat the same things that’s given to other teams. Live a little. Experience a different culture. Not everything is going to be as it is at your own house. The North Americans do this each and every year, but you rarely hear them complaining. At least the modern day athletes. I know of a coach that complained, heavily, about things years ago. I am not going to mention his name, but it was rather extraordinary to read years ago.

4. sporto1, AB, Canada says:
   March 11th, 2016 at 9:49 pm

   Were you at the sprints? I was. Between ski testing, wax testing, warm-up, qualification round, more wax testing, heats and finals, they were skiing for about 3 hours. Weren’t warming up on stationary bikes by the trail. Further, Canmore doesn’t have anything to see – especially at night. Even more so when you’re there for 5 days and the WC ends on a Saturday night. They’ll be out when business has been taken care of. Norwegians win – most others don’t. This is sport at the highest level – not a circus parade. And cyclists don’t prepare their bikes either – so a weak counter argument. Are you suggesting North Americans have never mailed in a race? Get real. Public shaming just furthers the divide between the NA approach and the Euro approach.

5. sporto1, AB, Canada says:
   March 11th, 2016 at 9:58 pm

   @xcskier22

   What do you think the Tour de Ski and Canada Ski Tour are modelled after? Figured the format was just made up by the wizards at FIS?

   https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tour_de_Ski

6. Halvard, WA, USA says:
   March 12th, 2016 at 1:51 pm

   Maybe the North Americans should stop complaining and rather try to copy what the Norwegians are doing. Looking at the results the Norwegians are doing something right.

7. xcskier22, Montana, says:
   March 13th, 2016 at 2:51 pm

   Halvard Berg, of course they are doing ‘something’ right…

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