– I got the career where I wanted – VG

Klæbo sped off in familiar style by rowing off the last hill before the stadium. Trøndelag’s man got the hatch he needed for the archrival.

– I was nervous, but I got a bit to the race where I wanted, I hoped that Bolshunov would catch me again. So I felt good that there was a bit of an idiot, Klæbo tells VG.

Bolshunov alternated 35 seconds behind Klæbo in the lead, but gained the lead of just four kilometers. Bolshunov, on the other hand, never managed to get rid of the Norwegian who was in full control.

– You will probably have to try harder for me to escape, was Klæbo’s message to Russian in the NRK interview.

Bolshunov: It’s not easy to beat Klæbo

Aleksandr Bolshunov appeared for an interview with VGTV, but he did not seem very happy. He himself did not want to answer questions, but his interpreter said that the Russian was disappointed after the silver.

– Aleksandr has no words now. He says he tried to get a hatch, but Klæbo was a little faster, says the interpreter.

– I tried different variants, but it is not easy to beat Klæbo in 10 kilometers, especially when he has a 30-second lead, Bolshunov tells Russian Matsj TV.

On the last descent I didn’t hear it coming from the right side. I thought it was coming from the left side. He did his job. I couldn’t follow him on the last climb, continues the Russian.

In the end, Klæbo was greeted by his teammates Pål Golberg, Emil Iversen and Hans Christer Holund, who nervously followed the sprint.

– I think they were so close. I was very nervous about the Klæbo staff. I imagined the worst: that some spells would be broken. We have the best presenter in the world on the team, Holund tells VG.

Eleven in a row – strong start

For the fourth consecutive relay championship, it was a golden duel between Norway and the Russians. In 2017, Finn Hågen Krogh stayed away from Sergei Ustjugov in Lahti. The following year, Klæbo decided against Denis Spitsov at the Olympics, while Klæbo had full control of the Ustjugov Seefeld WC in 2019.

In Oberstdorf, it was Bolshunov who passed. Thus, it was Norway’s eleventh consecutive gold in the World Cup relay.

But it seemed dark after the first stage. Pål Golberg chose sticky skis in the thick, wet snow, while the rest of the field went rubbish skiing. Golberg alternated about a minute behind the Russians who were leading superiorly.

– This is the strangest relay I have ever seen, says Niklas Dyrhaug on VGTV.

Emil Iversen knew which skis were relevant and it was a great setting. He alternated the lead with the Finn Iivo Niskanen, more than 20 seconds ahead of Ivan Yakimushkin, who made it difficult for him.

Hans Christer Holund followed brilliantly into the third stage. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo posted 26 seconds for France and Sweden, and 35 seconds for Russians Aleksandr Bolshunov.