OBERSTDORF (Dagbladet): Ingvild Flugstad Østberg goes back to the last two stages of the Tour de Ski with management in sammenlagtkonkurransen.
On jaktstarten in the day seemed Østberg fresh and increased sammenlagtledelsen. Now the difference is 35 seconds down to the Russian Natalya Neprjajeva, while Jessica Diggins follows in third place, 1.22 minutes behind.
Still feel Østberg that the body can handle the competitions well.
– It is actually surprisingly good, I have not really been tired, so properly yet.
– It is tough, but I have actually always tackled it with to have many competitions in a row very well. I can take a part, both the training in the summer and hardøkter, so I know it is something that fits me well, ” says Østberg.
Lost the large
Thus, Østberg is now the very favorite, believes coach Ole Morten Iversen.
– She has to be the favorite now, ” says Iversen.
– It is not most to be with me now
– Ingvild has the festa a solid grip on the tour, but it is often the case that one has a bad day in the course of the tour and it can actually happen with Ingvild Flugstad Østberg also, even if she looks rock-solid out now, ” said the coach.
It was just things that happened on the same stage last year. She had 57 seconds leadership before the last two stages, but Østberg had a bad day at the track and lost almost one minute in the summary to Heidi Weng on the fellesstarten in Val di Fiemme.
It makes Østberg has refused to take on favorittstempelet.
It was boring that it went so bad there in the last year, and I don’t want it to happen again. I have such a desire to have a good day with both the body and the skiing on Saturday. It is very essential, the 35 seconds that I lead with now can go in a flash, if you have a slightly “off” day on Saturday, ” says Østberg even.
Heidi Weng remember, naturally enough, also good race from last year, where she ate up all the lead Østberg had acquired, but believes that as long as Østberg preserve the lead before the last stage, is she well on the way.
The russians are very good in classic. She must be on “all the way in the door”, for the last year, she lost very much in the Val di Fiemme-trail. Anything can happen, but Ingvild is so much better than them in the ice-skating up the hill that she should not lose there. She is the favorite now, ” says Heidi Weng.
Heidi has said it before also, when she has only been ten seconds behind me. I will do everything I can, but the Saturday is extremely important, responding Østberg on Wengs favorittstempel.
Østberg won and increased the Tour de Ski lead Will have three minutes
Even laughing at Østberg away questions whether she “should” win the Tour for the first time and pulls out the four competitors behind him.
– I do everything I can, going as fast as I can on skiing every day, has trained well and is in good shape. It had been fun to fight about it all the way to the top of the ski hill. I don’t know how good the russians are, Jessica and Krista are very good there. Jessica can find so much wonder with the fighterviljen her, so she can suddenly go frantic soon, believe Østberg.
I must have say much time as humanly possible before the last hill, and says latterfullt that she feels comfortable with a three minute lead.
It speaks nevertheless to Østbergs advantage that the last years winners of the tour is out of the dance. Therese Johaug won’t go, while Weng is out of the dance, three minutes behind in the gc.
With the two motbakketurboene out of the picture, it is probably smoother up to the critical monsterbakken.
All five in the top, including myself, can go pretty good in the last ground. Before has Therese been in a class up the hill, Heidi on a way the next in its own class, and then have the rest be a bit more evenly, so seen this way is the activity a little smoother now, ” says Østberg.
– you Have a bad day then races the seconds, but normally is Self-stable and good up the ground compared with our competitors, ” says Ole Morten Iversen.
