Toblach/Trondheim (Nitawiesen): Saturday marks the start of the 18th edition of the famous Tour de Ski race.
Heidi Wong will start and be perhaps Norway's greatest hope in the women's category.
In a season without championships, the Tour is the highlight of the year for many cross-country stars, but Wong is more skeptical.
– I don't feel like this is the highlight of the year, maybe it will be when I get to Val di Fiemme, says Weng to Nettavisen.
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-I think it's sad
The Tour de Ski starts with a sprint in Toblach on Saturday – one of two sprints on the Tour programme.
In principle, Wing thinks this is perfectly fine, but that was until she took a closer look at the racing programme.
The sprint races in the Tour de Ski this winter are both freestyle.
Wong criticizes this.
– I think it's sad that there are two speed races in the ski race in the Tour de Ski and not both classic skiing and skiing. I don't quite understand the point of that.
“I want to do drag racing, but the fact that there are two ski races on a completely identical track makes me confused,” says Wong.
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– I can't do anything about it
She clearly finds it boring for things to be the way they are.
“I can't do anything about it,” Wong sighs.
She explains: “I wanted to practice classical running.”
However, Wong is determined to make the best of the situation.
– I'll go as far as I can. I'm really looking forward to Val di Fiemme. This is the biggest goal. “I don't know if the bigger goal is up the hill, but I feel good in Val di Fiemme and I'm looking forward to the two rounds there,” says Wong.
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Gets Swedish support
Swedish national team director Anders Bystrom supports Wong's criticism of the racing programme.
– I agree. “I think there should have been one sprint in the classic race and one in the free race,” Bystrom tells Netafsen.
However, he explains that the organizers did not have much choice.
– Now the lanes are as they are and then they will be free. “You can't drive a classic in Davos and you can't do it in Toblach, otherwise I would have done it,” says the Swedish national team manager.
At the same time, Bystrom believes it represents a loss for the product.
– it is a pity. Ideally, it should have been a mix and then there should have been a sprint in the classics and a sprint in the skiing in the Tour, says Bystrom.
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