Korsgren finished three minutes ahead of Johansson Norgren, while the men’s race was determined on the finish line as Emil Persson was fastest in the final sprint.
The fourth Visma Ski Classics event of Season X, the second in Visma Alp Trophy, took place in Seefeld, Austria, as Kaiser Maximilian Lauf 60 km, welcomed the Pro Teams after a long holiday break. The venue offered good conditions with a temperature right below zero and sunshine breaking through the mist.
In the women’s race, Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 Ski Team, Lina Korsgren, Team Ramudden, and Astrid Øyre Slind, Team Koteng, broke away shortly after the start and took turns to increase the gap to following ladies. In the Leutasch valley, Karin Vikhagen Gjeitnes, Team Koteng, was chasing the leading group and decreased the gap for a while. Right before the second Sprint the men caught up with the leading ladies and Lina Korsgren pushed hard to follow the men, immediately leaving Johansson Norgren and Øyre Slind behind. Korsgren’s lead increased as the climb went on and after reaching the top with a 2-minute gap to Johansson Norgren, she had a smooth decent to the finish line.
The happy winner and the Visma Skier of the Day, Lina Korsgren said “It was amazing, it was a really good day for me. It was a good opportunity to hang on to the men and it paid off”. She further described “I have had a lot of good training back home in Åre during the holidays. I felt strong in the beginning of the season too, but something was not working completely. Now I have worked on my technique and it feels good.”
In the men’s race, a large group fought together during most of the race. Joar Thele, Team Ragde Eiendom, followed by Magnus Vesterheim, Team Kaffebryggeriet, tried to breakaway in the Leutasch valley, but they were caught up before they reached the first climb after the valley. Marcus Johansson, Lager 157 Ski Team and Morten Eide Pedersen, Team Kaffebryggeriet lead the large group up the steep hills where Russian Winter Team’s Alexey Shemiakin and Ermil Vokuev took over. At the top of the climb, 14 men was still in the leading group, unfortunately both Shemiakin and Vokuev fell in the following downhill, missing the final sprint. The podium was determined right at the end, where Emil Persson crossed the finish line right before Team Ragde Eiendom’s Andreas Nygaard and Marcus Johansson, Lager 157 Ski Team.
“I just had such a good day, I felt it I had a perfect body. I have trained a lot this summer and I have been really strong.” Emil Persson said after the race, also talking promising about what is to come “I think the course in La Diagonela suits me event better since it is more flat, so I look forward a lot to next weekend!”.
The runner-up Andreas Nygaard said “I’m happy that the shape is good and that I’m back at the podium but I’m not happy about how things turn out turned out the last 500 meter, but that is how it is”, continuing about today’s winner “Emil was just faster today, he has shown in Livigno that he is super fast and today he was faster.”
Britta Johansson Norgren is still leading the Hetz Champion bib completion, while Emil Persson is the new leader on the men’s side. Both of them are also leading the Visma Alp Trophy. Stian Berg, Team Kaffebryggeriet took over the Sprint bib from Max Novak, Team Ramudden, while Britta Johansson Norgren defended her lead in the Sprint competition like Astrid Øyre Slind and Morten Eide Pedersen in the Climb completions. Ida Dahl, Team Ramudden, is the new female lead in the Youth competition. Lager 157 Ski Team is extending their lead to Team Koteng, now with a 90 points difference in the Pro Team competition.
The next event in Season X is La Diagonela, 60 km classic, in Zuoz, Switzerland, on January 18, 2020.
Kaiser Maximilian Lauf Podium Results
The women’s 60 km race:
Lina Korsgren, Team Ramudden 02.49.59,7
Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 Ski Team 02.53.11,3
Astrid Øyre Slind, Team Koteng 02.53.32,7
The men’s 60 km race:
Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team 2.30.17,6
Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Eiendom 2.30.17,7
Marcus Johansson, Lager 157 Ski Team 2:30:18.0
