Cross-country skiing: Maarten Skinstad angry with the organisers
“There were a lot of stones here. They could have done a better job of removing them”. These were the words ofAleksander Elde Holmboe, spoken into the microphone of NRK after falling in the semi-finals of the classic sprint at the Norwegian opening cross-country skiing races in Beitostølen (Norway).
The Norwegian, who was in the running for a place in the final via the lucky loser system, saw his dreams dashed around fifty metres from the finish. He even took his compatriot Amund Korsæth down with him.

A race incident that was not serious for the former, but more important for the latter. The 24-year-old cross-country skier dislocated his shoulder when he collapsed on the Scandinavian track: “I had no chance of getting out of it when I fell in front of me. It’s very sad because my objective was to have the opportunity to qualify for Ruka today. I’m very disappointed,” he lamented in the finish area before making his way to the race’s medical tent .
A collision that Ski Classics regular Maarten Skinstad explained by the presence of stones in the final metres of the course. I don’t understand why this track is gravelled once you’ve got snow,” he said, speaking to race director Torbjoern Broks Pettersen. You won’t see this on any other snowfarm in the world. Here, the stones are counted by the square metre.

However, the 27-year-old wasn ‘t exactly convincing in his tough explanations. I don’t entirely agree, I think the organiser did a good job,” reports Fredrik Aukland, consultant for the Norwegian channel. There’s been snow since the beginning of November. If you look around you, you don’t see any natural snow. You’re skiing on old artificial snow and they’ve done a tremendous job.
“I think the conditions are absolutely perfect”.Martin Johnsrud Sundby at NRK
Martin Johnsrud Sundby, who has also been an expert on Scandinavian television for the past few weeks, praised the quality of the Beitostølen piste: “I think the conditions are absolutely impeccable and among the best I’ve seen at Beitostølen. There are a lot of stones, but you don’t choose the best skis at these competitions either,” he said.

A view fully shared by Jules Chappaz from France, sixth today and on site since Monday. “We’re on snowfarming so the piste isn’t always ‘clean’ but the Norwegians have done a sick job over the last few days. They clean the piste by hand and I thought it was pretty good for 22 November to be racing in these conditions,” Le Cluse told Nordic Magazine. The conditions are always the same for everyone, so it didn’t bother me and you shouldn’t pay any attention to it.
Torbjoern Broks Pettersen recalled that his team had been working long hours before the event to provide the best possible track for the athletes. We’ve been out there since 4.15 this morning preparing and trying to plug the holes,” he said. We’ve sorted out most of the problems, but obviously not everything.
Read also
- Beitostølen: Jules Chappaz sixth in the classic sprint won by an impressive Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo
- “I’m going to seize every opportunity”: Amund August Korsæth looks to build on his surprise victory in the mass-start of the Toppidrettsveka
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