January 19, 2012 – Petter Northug (NOR) will skip this weekend’s Otepaa, Estonia World Cup, along with three members of the German National Team.

Northug intends to take one extra weekend off after Tour de Ski, where he finished third behind Dario Cologna (SUI) and Marcus Hellner (SWE).

He has been on the roster for the upcoming World Cup weekend in Otepää, but after a discussion with the head coach Trond Nystad on Wednesday, it became clear that Northug will get a permission to skip the Estonian World Cup.

Northug’s priority is to resume training and to take part in the 15 km free technique at the Norwegian nationals in Voss on Thursday on January 26, which will be his only show up at the national championships.

The day after the 26-year-old World Champion is traveling to Italian Val di Fiemme to take part in the famous Marcialonga on Sunday 29.

Only Ten Germans to Start Otepää
Germany’s national coach, Jochen Behle, travels to Estonia with a team struck by illness. Only ten Germans are to start on the upcoming weekend in Otepää.

Due to health problems, Behle is traveling to Estonia with a smaller team. Both Axel Teichmann and Hanna Kolb have been on antibiotics. Steffe Böhler is skipping the coming World Cup weekend as she has not come over aftereffects of a flu infection. Hannes Dotzler will make his debut in the World Cup instead. The youngster from Sonthofen could not show up in the World Cup this season due to broken leg.

Three German ladies are lined up for the World Cup weekend in Otepää will take start both in the sprint and distance competition. For the men’s sprint Behle will count on Heun, Wenzl and Wünsch. Angerer, Filbrich, Dotzler and Eisenlauer will be racing for Germany in the distance competition on Sunday.

Women
– Nicole Fessel (SC Oberstdorf)
– Denise Herrmann (WSC Erzgebirge Oberwiesenthal)
– Katrin Zeller (SC Oberstdorf)

Men
– Tobias Angerer (SC Vachendorf)
– Hannes Dotzler (SC Sonthofen)
– Sebastian Eisenlauer (SC Sonthofen)
– Daniel Heun (SKG Gersfeld)
– Jens Filbrich (SV Eintracht Frankenhain)
– Josef Wenzl (SC Zwiesel)
– Oliver Wünsch (SV Großwaltersdorf)