Cross-Country Skiing-Norwegians sweep top six places in 20k World Cup race
Jan 26 (Reuters) - Norway threw down the gauntlet for next year's Winter Olympics when their skiers took the top six places in a cross-country World Cup race on Sunday.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo led the way as the Norwegians credited their ski technicians with perfect preparations for the 20km mass start free race in Engadin, Switzerland, after heavy snowfall just before the start.
"Today we absolutely nailed it when it came to the skis. The guys in the waxing cabin did an amazing job. We were able to pull away at the front today," Klaebo, who finished 1.3 seconds ahead of Iver Tildheim Andersen, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.
Didrik Toenseth completed the podium while the best non-Norwegian finisher was Frenchman Jules Lapierre in seventh, 14.1 seconds behind Klaebo.
Klaebo won two golds, a silver and a bronze at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing and Norway's cross-country skiers will be among the favourites again next February at the Milan-Cortina Games.
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