Beitostoelen ready to host second World Cup weekend
World Cup
Wed, Nov 21, 2007 - By FIS
After a great FIS World Cup kick-off in the German metropolis Duesseldorf, the next Cross-Country World Cup will take place in Scandinavia, in Beitostoelen - the well-known Norwegian winter ski village - this coming weekend, 24th-25th November.
Beitostoelen – situated about 220km in the north-west of Oslo on the foot of the Jotumheimen Mountain – has organized 14 FIS Cross-Country World Cup races. It has invested a significant amount of money since its last FIS World Cup events in November 2005. A total of 12 Million Norwegian Crowns were spent to update the infrastructure in the stadium (at approx. 900m) including a rebuilt stadium building, extended service area and many small details. The tracks were redesigned, too, and a 2.5 km loop was newly-made with the possibility to prepare it completely with artificial snow.
The World Cup organizers led by Asbjoern Windingstad had a great test with the Norwegian National Opening last weekend. Ten races in three days (Cross-Country and Biathlon) were carried out between Friday and Sunday. “Thanks to the new equipment for snow production, we were able to prepare a 5 km track which is now in perfect condition. And we will surely produce some more snow next week, says Windingstad, President of the Organizing Committee. “We are happy about the good snow situation, and are looking forward to seeing our friends again after two years and showing them our new facilities here in Beitostoelen, adds Erik Oestli, Secretary General of the Organizing Committee.
On the Beitostoelen competition schedule, there are, on Saturday, individual start competitions in the free technique over 10 km for ladies and over 15 km for men and, on Sunday, relay competitions. It is planned to have the first trial for using different starting intervals in an individual start race on Saturday, so that the top-ranked athletes will start with longer intervals compared with the first starters. 25 nations will be at start, including around 100 men and 90 ladies.
More information: www.beitoworldcup.com
Starting times:
Saturday, 24th November
10 km free technique women 10.30h*
15 km free technique men 12.30h*
Sunday, 25th November
Relay 4x 5 km women 10.30h*
Relay 4 x 10 km men 12.45h*
*local time
Top three last World Cup in Beitostoelen (November 2005):
Distance race, classical technique
Women Men
1. Marit Bjoergen (NOR) 1. Tor Arne Hetland (NOR)
2. Virpi Kuitunen (FIN) 2. Jens Arne Svartedal (NOR)
3. Natalia Baranova (RUS) 3. Ivan Batory (SVK)
Relay
Women
1. Norway 1 (Pedersen, Gjoemle, Bjoergen, Skofterud Gjoemle)
2. Germany (Boehler, Henkel, Kuenzel-Nystad, Sachenbacher-Stehle)
3. Finland (Kuitunen, Vaelimaa, Saarinen, Roponen)
Men
1. Germany (Filbrich, Schluetter, Angerer, Teichmann)
2. France (Perrillat, Jonnier, Rousselet, Vittoz)
3. Norway 1 (Svartedal, Hetland, Hofstad, Roenning)