He thinks the runners of the national team were sweating on their foreheads – VG

While several of the national team’s running backs are struggling, Asker’s 22-year-old national team recruiter has seized the opportunity with both hands. In Beitostølen he was second behind Hans Christer Holund, on Saturday he beat everyone in the 15 kilometer freestyle, which is a World Cup exercise.

– I think someone feels pressured from behind. Let them feel breathed in the neck. I hope they know. They have a reason for that, Amundsen tells VG after the super race at Sjusjøen.

On Sunday, the men run the classic 15 kilometers in the same place.

Amundsen was 17 seconds ahead of Johannes Høsflot Klæbo in yesterday’s goal. Then there were the runners of the national team in 5th, 7th and 10th, 15th and 21st place, while Simen Hegstad Krüger reached the finish line in 36th place.

– With the race I went to today, I guess their foreheads started to sweat a little. There are a lot of national team riders that they have to struggle with a bit, there are a lot of World Cup venues that have not been clarified, says Amundsen.

And with Norway out of the World Cup for the remainder of the year due to the crown pandemic, while it has not been decided whether Norway will compete in the Tour de Ski, a coach for the national team has never had a base. worse at eliminating a team from the World Cup than Eirik Myhr Nossum.

– That’s right. There was possibly something in the 1950s that I don’t have an overview of, but it probably is, Nossum tells VG.

Here is the World Cup match

Now there are races in Norway and the National Championships that will decide who can go to the World Championship in Oberstdorf in February.

Here, runners who want to go to the WC must do:

• Scandinavian Cup in Lygna, 8-10. January: Classic Sprint, 15 km. free technique, 30 km. classic.
• NM on skis, Granåsen, 16.-19. January: 30 km. Joint departure with change of skis, 15 km. freestyle, classic sprint.
• World Cup, Lahti, January 23: 30 km. set start with ski change.

Amundsen says the World Cup dream is bigger after Saturday’s victory.

– I think that if I continue at today’s level, then the World Cup may be relevant. But there are several national team riders who are not starting today, says Amundsen.

– Isn’t he a little defensive?

– Yes maybe. I was thinking about the World Cup today. But it’s early. But the dream of the World Cup grows when you gain in confidence, Amundsen responds.

– Good application

The coach of the national team, Nossum, has a lot of faith that it will be the World Cup. He does not get stressed by a different season title for the championship.

– Harald win is a good application, but nothing more, says Nossum.

There are more Amundsen who have been stronger than Klæbo this season, in Ruka Eirik Valnes played from Trøndelag in the sprint:

It is one of the oddities that runners outside the national team are allowed to go to the WC. Kristine Stavås Skistad from the national recruiting team raced in Seefeld last year. Sjur Røthe was a Team Manpower rider when he ranked fourth in five miles at Holmenkollen in 2011. Therese Johaug was on the junior national team when he achieved World Cup bronze in three miles in 2007. But due to the corona virus and the Norwegian Cup career with the national team runners, so the block for the national team coach is more full of names this year.

In addition to Amundsen, Team Telemark’s Mikael Gunnulfsen has entered the WC discussion with a victory in the 15km classic in Beitostølen in November.

– There are good requests from people outside the national team, but it is too early to say something about the World Cup. What we know is that Beitostølen and Ruka, who have been Lygna and NM, will be very important for the WC selection, says Nossum.

P.S! Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Emil Iversen took the podium at the opening of the World Cup in Ruka in the distance race, while Hans Christer Holund had the best time at the start of the hunt. Norway have four defending champions who have free space for the World Cup.