February 27, 2011 (Oslo, Norway) – Every Norwegian today was either at the 30km pursuit trail at Holmenkollen or parked by a TV as Norway’s Petter Northug won a dazzling gold in 1:14:10:4 and made good on the signs that read, “Heile Petter” along the race course.

But this was not an easy win for the Norwegian as Canada’s Alex Harvey broke away soon after the transition zone at the 15km mark and had up to a 15-second lead. Even the Russians, who have once again have become a formidable train internationally and won silver and bronze today, say Harvey is a dangerous man to have ahead of you.

Northug said they were talking to one another in the pack, wondering who would have the guts to chase Harvey down as he glided ahead, looking confident, comfortable and determined to make up for Friday’s sprint event where he was caught up by a Swiss skier falling and lost four seconds which shut him down in the semi-final.

Russian Maxim Vylegzhanin took the silver at 0.22 seconds behind, while teammate Ilia Chernousov was the bronze medalist at 0.38 seconds back. Sergei Dolidovich of Belarus was a surprise 4th having not won a World Cup race since 2001, and not finished high up in World Cup points. He was 0.82 seconds back while Norway’s Martin Johnsrud Sunby and Sweden’s Marcus Hellner had a photo finish for 5th spot, 3.1 seconds back.

Canada’s Devon Kershaw, who took over the lead soon after Harvey was caught with 3km to go, was swallowed up as well, ending up in a photo finish with Germany’s Tobias Angerer for 8th place. Kershaw was awarded 9th both at 6.5 seconds behind. Harvey finished in 12th place at 10.3 seconds behind while teammate Ivan Babikov rounded out the three Canadians in the top 15 placing 15th at 11.8 seconds behind Northug.

Kris Freeman, who was with the lead group for most of the race and generally around 8-12 seconds back, was the first American in at 29th at 2:09:9 minutes behind. He was followed by Noah Hoffman at his first senior World Championships in 37th at 3:03:7 minutes back, Canadian George Grey in 46th behind by 4:24:7 minutes, Lars Flora (USA) in 53rd at 5:52:0 back, and American Tad Elliott, also at this first Nordic Worlds, in 55th at 5:58:4 minutes back.

As Freeman put it last weekend in Drammen at the WCup wasn’t great so today was a step in the right direction. He recalled that this was the event that ended his 2010 season abruptly. As a diabetic he ran into blood-sugar problems in the 30km pursuit at Vancouver 2010 so was he a little nervous coming into today’s race?

“Sure I was apprehensive – this is my first 30km since the Games. I guess I should be happy with 29th but I want more and know I can do better. This classic course is one of the hardest out there with a 1-km climb just after the start. I lost some ground during the exchange and on the skate leg and I’m still about a week behind where I’d like to be after getting sick during the break.”

Freeman’s blood-sugar levels were stable today but not where he wants them to be as he continues to fine tune. His target at the Worlds is the 15km classic on Mar. 1 and tomorrow he’ll spec out the course again and do a light training session.

“Kris was encouraged by his race. He is feeling better with each start,” said Chris Grover U.S. Ski Team XC Head Coach by email. “We were really excited for Noah. He skied very well in both classic and skate, and I feel can do even better later in the week.”

Hoffman is optimistic as well. “It was a really fun race, but pretty hard. I had a good start and was able to ski in the pack for 8km or so. I started going backwards at that point and was struggling to hold it together. I had some guys to ski with that were helpful. I felt better in the last two skate laps. It was an incredible experience. I really enjoyed it and I’m hoping to build on it during the rest of the week.”

For Tad Elliott it was an experience he won’t forget too soon. “It was a great day out there. The weather could not have been better and the crowds were huge – the cheering was so loud that it literally shook you. My experience at the senior world championships could not be better. It is like the super bowl of skiing. My skis were fast and feeling good. Thanks to all the wax techs from the US they were great.”

The race started under sunny skies as thousands upon thousands of spectators skied to the race trails, but by the time the gun went off, clouds had moved in, luckily without the fog from previous days. The 12km trail from Songsvann to Frognersettern, which houses the trails at Holmenkollen, were clogged with skiers the way major freeways in North American cities are grid-locked when a professional sports team is playing.

The forest area surrounding the trails is one big happy international family from newborns in pulkes to great grandparents still striking a tent and building a fire along the course. Times become even merrier with considerable amounts of beer and spirits as well as the friendly rivalry between Sweden and Norway, both of whom claim to have the best Viking skiers.

But both Scandinavian countries, along with the Russians, predict that Harvey will soon be the man to beat. It took a combined international effort to reel in the 22-year-old who earlier this year took the gold in the 30km race at the U23 World Championships.

After several attempts by the chasing field to run him down first by Dario Cologna (SUI), then by the Russians and Italians, Harvey was able to stay away. But as the finish line approached a more concerted effort was launched by Northug and the Norwegians and Harvey’s lead began to dwindle. At 3km he was caught. For the first time he says he experienced leg cramps not in his quads, but in the psoas, which is a muscle deep in the hip flexor area.

“I felt really strong today. The classic part was easy for me and I had good skis,” a disappointed Harvey told SkiTrax after the race. “Early in the skate leg I realized I was having a very good day and once again, my skis were fast. I went to the front of the group on the last climb of the 1st lap and got a gap on the field.

“I didn’t plan on getting away or anything like that, it just happened. I skied my own pace for the next two laps. I was feeling relaxed and I was pretty convinced that I would go to the line alone, then I started cramping in the hipflexor. I never had that happen to me before. I’ve had cramps in the quadriceps before, when I have a rough day skating and the legs are full of lactate, but today I felt amazing until it happened.”

From behind Northug moved it up another notch, swallowing Harvey, who became part of the pack but remained near the front group with teammates Kershaw and Babikov when things really went wild. Skier after skier, including Kershaw, attacked pushing an unrelenting pace.

Canadian coach Justin Wadsworth reflected after the race. “I think Alex had the fitness to win, but just cramped with 3km to go. Devon moved too early at the end. Ivan skied well the whole day. It’s so great to have the guys firing so well.”

Northug, meanwhile, was playing it safe. He did his part at the front of the pack catching Harvey, but he admits it is the last lap in the four-lap race where he believes the winner is determined and within that last lap, as long as he is near the front, he conserves his strength until he unleashes his unmatched sprinting ability.

“It was a great day,” Northug said after the race. “Also we had better weather than last days and a lot of crowds. The skiing track had a lot of people – I got a lot of help from them.”

Northug also mentioned that he didn’t want to give his father a heart attack so when he came through the stadium he tried to go to the front so he wouldn’t worry, but he knew he had to “..save some power for the second part of the skating.”

As usual, he skied conservatively early on, entering the transition zone in 15th spot, at three seconds behind the Italian Giorgio di Centa who hit it at 39:59:5. But at this point the lead pack was still large, numbering 33 skiers with Sweden’s Marcus Hellner at the back as he struggled with the wrong classic wax. All Canadians and American Freeman were in this lead pack.

“It was a tough classic part, but the first part of the second laps when Alex Harvey attacked, I felt really good,” continued Northug. “I was ready to do my work if the gap was too high, but the Russians were strong , and they did not want him too long in front of the field. I was sure Harvey was tired – it is difficult for him to stay in his spot with a big pack behind him.

“I think it’s the last two rounds that count where you go really hard. I knew we would catch Harvey and then just I had to stay at the front. The last round [lap] was pretty tough. People attacked all the way. It was really hard. But I have gone through this race for one year in my head and I have done this track many times. I was in third and then in second on the last long uphill.

“I looked toward Dario [Cologna] on my left side. ‘This time I’m going to take him’ I said in my head. Maybe this is my only chance to get gold – so try hard. I was smiling, trying to say that I’m feeling okay. I like to sprint when the field is a bit tired.”

Meanwhile Russians Vylegzhanin and Chernousov were like a tag team in their press conference, speaking on behalf of one another and the Russian team in general. Teammate Alexander Legkov, who was 4th in this event at the Vancouver Olympics, broke his pole earlier in the race.

Vylegzhann and Chernousov did not get a message to wait for him, and so worked to finish on the podium. “I had a good preparation, and thought about the world championships, not the world cup races – they are not a priority,” said Vylegzhann through an interpreter when asked why he had not been at too many world cups.

Meanwhile Chernousov said he has known Northug since they raced together at the Junior Worlds and knew he is a very good skier.

“Of course we know he is the best in the finish – so we try our best to beat him and have something in the reserve to beat him…but we shall see later in the championships,” he added, in reference to races where Northug may not dominate.

In terms of Harvey’s lead, they said they “…were very, very concerned. We know he is strong, and he could get away, therefore we couldn’t let him get to far and had to use some strength to get him. That was our tactic – not to let him get too far.”

As the weather closed in once again on Holmenkollen Northug paid tribute to the historic site. “It is the biggest achievement for a Norwegian skier,” Northug said to win on the Holmenkollen circuit at the World Championships in front of Norwegians – even bigger than winning at the Olympics.

For complete results click HERE.

Results (brief)

1. Petter Northug (NOR) 1:14:10.4
2. Maxim Vylegzhanin (RUS) 1:14:11.1
3. Ilia Chernousov (RUS) 1:14:11.6

9. Devon Kershaw (CAN) 1:14:16.9
12. Alex Harvey (CAN) 1:14:20.7
15. Ivan Babikov (CAN) 1:14:22.2
29. Kris Freeman (USA) 1:16:20.3
37. Noah Hoffman (USA) 1:17:14.1
46. George Grey (CAN) 1:18:35.1.
53. Lars Flora (USA) 1:20:06.3
55. Tad Elliott (USA) 1:20:08.8