(procycling.no): Thursday starts the world CHAMPIONSHIP in nordic skiing with langrennssprinter for women and men in Seefeld. Large parts of the population in Norway then sits glued in front of the TV screen to follow the nasjonalidrettens heroes in the austrian alps.

cross-country Skiing and cycling are closely related sports. Demands on the athletes stamina and endurance, and in recent years has tactical properties, feltkjøring and spurtegenskaper gained a greater place in the ski sport.

There are many examples of cyclists who have been good cross-country skiers in his age group classes. Kurt Asle But has a 17. space from the junior CHAMPIONSHIP on the ski, while the former Sky teammate Lars Petter Nordhaug got a 28. space from Hovedlandsrennet in 1999.

On kontinentalnivå in Norway today, there is also more background, from cross-country skiing. Uno-X-brothers Anders and Zeal Skaarseth have both claimed themselves top 15 in the norgescup-classes for juniors.

Mark and Daniel Hoelgaard has also been a habile skiers at a young age, but gave up early. In langrennsmiljøet is admittedly a big brother Stian better known. He competes in the top in the Ski Classics, and can show to podieplasser in both Vasaloppet and Marcialonga.

Groupama-FDJ-duo asserted itself in the French maratonrenn

Due to cross-country skiing and cycling their numerous similarities, there are many cyclists who use the ski frequently as an alternative to training in the winter period. Among them is Daniel Hoelgaards French teammate, Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ).

the Frenchman sign opposite procycling.now that he goes 1500 miles in a year. Pinot, who took the last place on the podium in the Tour de France in 2014, goes mainly ice-skating – styles that resembles the most on the wheel muscularly.

In January of this year went to Pinot and his teammate Rudy Molard skøyterennet Marathon de Bessans. 42 kilometers were on the programme, and the racers came in on, respectively, at 30.- and 20. space on the times 2:00:02 and 1.56:14. It corresponds to well over 20 miles an hour.

Molard was also juniorverdensmester in vintertriatlon from 2008 in Freudenstadt. Vintertriatlon consists of running, cycling and cross-country skiing.

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CYCLISTS ON the SKI: Rudy Molard (t.v) and Thibaut Pinot on the training day before the Marathon de Bessans. PHOTO: Strava/Thibaut Pinot. Show more

CYCLISTS ON the SKI: Rudy Molard (t.v.) and Thibaut Pinot on the training day before the Marathon de Bessans. PHOTO: Strava/Thibaut Pinot.

Just a month after the Pinot and Molards langrennskonkurranse, opened the duo the season in the Tour de la Provence. Where fought the whole in the top with, respectively, fourth – and fifth place overall after offensive driving.

– cross country Skiing gives me the opportunity to vary the activities my at the same time as I get better physically. As a cyclist you’ll rack up many miles on the bike in the course of a year, and in order to avoid becoming bored, it really is valuable to switch activities sometimes. It is especially true in a region like mine, where the climate is difficult in winter, ” says the French sykkelstjernen to procycling.no.

Pinot is born and raised in Mélisey in the Haute-Saône, where he still lives.

Also Pinots rival of AG2R, Romain Bardet, using skis frequently in the course of the winter. He goes not as much as his peers, fellow countryman, but also, he has embarked on langrennskonkurranser in the course of years as a pro.

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Dans le partage, l’effort a encore un goût supérieur