CROSS-COUTRY SKI MARATHON. Simen Østensen (Team Centric) did an extravagant performance battling his first long distance ski race winning the 41st edition of Marcialonga. He got a gap to the rest of the field at about 3km before the last uphill, La Cascata, in today's Swix Ski Classics race, and kept the competitors behind all the way to the finish.  In the women’s competition Julia Thikonova (Russia Marathon Team) did a strong performance and after half race she kept a good distance to the other women getting her first long distance victory likewise Simen.

Photo by Magnus Östh / Swix Ski Classics
 
The snow conditions were quite tough at the beginning of the race and the snowfall this morning made the race quite slow where most of the teams kept a steady pace without many changes or gaps. In the men’s competition it was a close race until around 3 km before the last uphill where Simen Østensen left the leading group and got a distance to the other skiers and teams. Not many thought he would keep the lead having strong skiers like John Kristian Dahl (Team United Bakeries), Johan Kjølstad (Team United Bakeries), Daniel Tynell(Team Tynell) and Jörgen Brink (Team LeasePlan Go) not long behind. But Team Centric showed good tactics, and with Jørgen and Anders Aukland working hard behind, Simen could get his first long distance victory before John Kristian Dahl second and Jørgen Aukland third. Simen is now the current champion of Swix Ski Classics and will wear the yellow jersey next weekend at König Ludwig Lauf.
 
In the women’s competition Julia Thikonova and Seraina Boner did a close race at the first part of the competition but at around half race Juliana got a gap and showed an impressive strength keeping Seraina and the other women behind with a good margin until the last uphill. Seraina did a strong performance the last uphill and got closer to Julia but not enough to take her third Marcioalonga victory. Julia kept her competitors on a safe distance and climbed up the last hill showing an impressive strength. Another nice surprise in the women’s competition was third place, Annika Löfström Team SkiProAm, another new name showing a good performance.
 
Team Centric did a revenge and an impressive performance gaining the first position in the Swix Ski Classics Team Competition before Team United Bakeries and Team Coop. In the Swix Ski Classics youth women competition Tuva Toftdahl Staver has taken the lead and Tore Bjørseth Berdal in the men´s competition. John Kristian Dahl keeps Swix Ski Classics Sprint jersey before next weekend's race.

TOP 5 MEN
1         Simen Østensen Team Centric 03.10.16.10
2         John Kristian Dahl  Team United Bakeries 03.10.28.80
3         Jørgen Aukland Team Centric 03.10.29.10
4         Johan Kjølstad Team United Bakeries 03.10.29.30
5         Anders Aukland Team Centric 03.11.02.70

TOP 5 WOMEN
1         Julia Thikonova Russia Marathon Team 03:27:54.10
2         Seraina Boner  Team Coop 03:29:03.10
3         Annika Löfström Team SkiProAm 03:30:18.70
4         Laila Kveli Team Centric 03:36:04.90
5         Susanne Nyström Team Centric 03:36:04.90

Next Swix Ski Classics race is König Ludwig Lauf, Germany on February 2nd.

More info at www.swixskiclassics.com

Press Release
Swix Ski Classics
Sun, January 26, 2014 3:21 pm