With today’s third place, Stian Hoelgaard (NOR) climbs to fifth place in the overall 2016 Ski Classics, and tightens his grip on the Youth Competition.
While the overall career goal for the 24-year-old Norwegian is to win the legendary 90-kilometer Vasaloppet, Hoelgaard is also quite fond of the 70-kilometer event in Northern Italy and considers it one of his main goals for the season.
“I want to ski fast in all the races I enter, and I never downplay any race in favor of others, but it seems like Marcialonga is an event that suits me well,” Hoelgaard said.
“I don’t know why this race works so well for me, but it was really fun. I like races with a tough finish, like Marcialonga. And I had amazing skis. Madshus has always given me great service and great skis, but so far I don’t feel like I’ve produced results to prove it or deserve it. But I’m starting to build a ski quiver that’s totally killer,” Hoelgaard said after the race.
Last year, he was ninth in the Marcialonga, which runs from Moena to Cavalase in Val di Fiemme, and that event was one of his top performances of the season.
Hoelgaard, who skis for Thomas Alsgaard’s team Leaseplan GO, has 439 points in the Youth Competition, while Anders Hoest in second place has 347 points.
In the women’s Youth Competition, Madshus marathon racer Emilia Lindstedt (SWE) also increases her lead. The gap to second place is now almost 300 points. Lindstedt, who skis for the Swedish all-women’s team Ski ProAm, sits with 397 points, while Tuva Toftdahl Staver has 116 points after five of the ten competitions in the 2016 Ski Classics.
Complete results and details Marcialonga 2016
The long-distance series now moves to Seefeld, Austria, next weekend. Seefeld, which has hosted the Olympcs twice, will run a 50-kilometer classic race to replace the 50-kilometer König Ludwiglauf in Germany on February 7. König Ludwiglauf is cancelled due to poor snow conditions.