Tåssåsen Criterium 64 powered by Visma, the seventh event in Visma Ski Classics, and the third Visma Nordic Trophy event Season XI took place today in snowy and windy conditions. Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team and Lina Korsgren, Team Ramudden, won the 54 km race. Korsgren secured her win in the Champion competition.
In the men’s race, Emil Persson won for the second day in a row. In mass sprint finish, Persson took the victory 0,2 second ahead of Morten Eide Pedersen, Team Nordic Athlete. Johan Hoel, Team Nordic Athlete, was third 1,5 seconds behind the winner. 30 men finished within 25 seconds.
The women’s race was decided on the last kilometers when Lina Korsgren was able to get a gap on Emilie Fleten, Team Koteng. Korsgren won the race, her fifth victory during Season XI, 21.3 seconds ahead of Fleten. Ida Dahl, Team Ramudden, finished third one minute and 19 seconds behind Korsgren, closely followed by Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 Ski Team and Thea Krokan Murud, Team Kaffebryggeriet.
Due to severe weather conditions, the start was postponed this morning. The men started 09:55 CET and the women 10:00 CET. The race course was changed from the planned 64 km course to 54 km on three loops due to the snowy and windy weather. The weather got better during the race and the athletes could finish the race under the sun.
In the men’s race, the peloton included 70 athletes at the second sprint point Varki Tjarki after 25,4 km. Maxim Vylegshanin, Russian Winter Team, won the sprint. The leading group was decimated to 48 athletes after two laps.
Alexis Jeannerod, Team Décathlon Expérience, was offensive in the race, like yesterday, and got a small gap on the way out in the final lap. He stretched out the field but soon got caught. With 10 km left Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Team XPND Fuel of Norway, stretched out the field even more. Towards the end of the race, the leading group got bigger again.
A large group of 30 athletes was together in the final kilometers. On the last hundred meters, Emil Persson moved to the front and sprinted to victory, challenged all the way to the finish line by Morten Eide Pedersen, taking his first podium place this season. His teammate Johan Hoel sprinted to third place, also taking his first podium place Season XI.
Top three in the men's race. From left: Morten Eide Pedersen, Emil Persson and Johan Hoel.
“It was a special race. Like on and off. Very high speed in the uphills, and then the speed just died. It was like intervals today,” says Persson.
“My body felt better today than yesterday,” Persson continues.
“It was a lot of different weather during the race. I pushed hard but then got a little tired. Then we were fighting really hard for a good position the last 5km,” says Eide Pedersen.
In the women’s race, nine athletes were together in the leading group with one lap to go. Three of the athletes did not participate in the Saturday race: Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 Ski Team, Thea Krokan Murud, Team Kaffebryggeriet, and Emma Ribom, Team Ragde Eiendom. Also in the leading group was Lina Korsgren and Ida Dahl, Team Ramudden, Emilie Fleten, Team Koteng, Roxane Lacroix, Team Décathlon Expérience, Sofie Elebro, Team Parkettpartner Sjusjøen, and Anastasia Rygalina, Russian Winter Team. Elin Mohlin, Lager 157 Ski Team, were a few seconds behind.
With about 4 km left of the race, Lina Korsgren and Emilie Fleten creaated a gap tom the rest of the group. Korsgren managed to increase the speed even more and lefter Fleten behind winning by 21.3 seconds. With this victory, Korsgren secured her win in the Champion competition Season XI.
Top three in the women's race. From left: Emilie Fleten, Lina Korsgren and Ida Dahl.
“It’s a great day for me. I’m so so happy, but also really tired,” says Korsgren.
“I felt better in my body today than yesterday. On the last lap, I felt stronger than on Saturday’s race,” Korsgren continues.
“Today, I’m really proud of myself. I felt so terrible from the start, and on the first two laps, I was considering not to finish. When we started the last lap, I just decided to go in the front, and suddenly it was just Lina and me. I tried to push hard in the end, but I had no chance against Lina,” says the runner-up Fleten.
In the fight for third position Ida Dahl outsprinted Britta Johansson Norgren and Thea Krokan Murud.
Lina Korsgren and Emil Persson keeps their the lead in the Champion competition.
Vålådalsrennet was the third event in Visma Nordic Trophy, combining the Scandinavian Pro Tour events, Lina Korsgren keeps the lead, and Emil Persson takes over the lead on the men’s side.
Ida Dahl and Emil Persson keeps the lead in the Youth competition,
Lina Korsgren and Emil Persson keeps the lead in the Sprint competition.
Lina Korsgren and Ermil Vokuev keep the lead in the Climb competition, since there were no climb points in today’s race.
Team Ramudden keeps the lead in the Team competition closely followed by Lager 157 Ski Team.
The next and final event in Season XI is Årefjällsloppet 100 km in Sweden, on March 27, 2021.
