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Dagbladet wrote on Monday that Norway abandons all World Cup races before the World Cup in Oberstdorf, including the Tour de Ski that starts right in the new year.
Now the Ski Federation confirms the latter in a press release. The background is the infection situation.
– I think it’s very sad that it didn’t happen, the Ski Tour is always one of the highlights of the season. But I fully support the assessments made by the Norwegian Ski Association regarding the status of the crown, Therese Johaug tells Dagbladet.
She would be the clear favorite on the Tour.
The risk of infection
Medical officer Øystein Andersen justifies the choice as follows:
– The risk of infection in relation to the travel activity to and during the Tour de Ski has not changed significantly from previous assessments, says in the press release.
This falls Norway
Davos, Switzerland December 12 and 13:
Sprint freestyle women and men
Classic of 10 kilometers (women) and 15 kilometers (men)
Dresden, Germany December 19-20:
Sprint freestyle women and men
Women’s and men’s sprint team
Ski Tour 1.-10. January:
Stage 1: Men’s and Women’s Freestyle Sprint in Val Müstair, Switzerland
2nd stage: joint women’s classic (10 km) and men (15 km) in Val Müstair, Switzerland
Stage 3: Start of classic female hunting (10 km) and male (15 km) in Val Müstair, Switzerland
Stage 4: 10km (women) and 15km (men) freestyle in Toblach, Italy
Stage 5: Hunt women (10 km) and men (15 km) freestyle in Toblach, Italy
Stage 6: Combined classic female (10 km) and male (15 km) start in Val di Fiemme, Italy
Stage 7: Classic Women’s and Men’s Sprint in Val di Fiemme, Italy
Stage 8: 10 km of joint start for women and men in Val di Fiemme, Italy. (NTB)
– Traveling between countries in Europe during a pandemic still carries an unacceptably high risk of infection.
Cross Country Director Espen Bjervig stresses that the health of athletes and support staff is the highest priority.
– The risk involved in exposing a team to Covid-19 weighs more in the decision not to participate in the Ski Tour. The main objective of cross-country skiing this season is the World Cup in Oberstdorf, continues the cross-country ski manager.
This determines the fate of the Tour of Norway
Disappointed
For Dagbladet, FIS race director Pierre Mignerey says today that he is disappointed with Norway’s decision and with the great absence in the next World Cup race.
– Yes, I am disappointed. We work to make sure the best are on the starting line. This is not good news for cross-country skiing when we lose a leading nation like Norway at the starting line. No one is happy Norway is gone, Mignerey tells Dagbladet.
– At the same time, I fully respect the decision in light of the quarantine rules in Norway. We must respect that. It’s clear that quarantine rules make things difficult for Norwegian cross-country skiers, he adds.
The health team and the management of the Norwegian Ski Federation wanted the Ski Tour to be organized in fewer places and with fewer stages. They didn’t get a breakthrough for that.
It is the fear of corona infection and the possible sequelae of a positive test in individual athletes that is the reason for no.
