Once again, Petter Northug was far down the results list, and this is why the Pro Team athlete finished over eight minutes behind the winner in the 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon on Saturday. On Sunday, he was on the Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge podium.

Petter Northug and teammate Joar Thele from Team Janteloppet were hopeless in this year’s first long-distance race.

The two Pro Team athletes finished in respectively 42nd and 46th place in the 62-kilometer 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon in Northern Italy on Saturday morning, nearly eight and a half minutes behind the winner Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge. The result was far from their ambition.

“It was disappointing, and we had hoped for better. Petter feels in good physical shape and was eager to do well today,” says Thele.

Joar speaks of a tough day on the track for both.

“It was hard from start to finish. A really tough day at work. It started hard, and in such a course, the gap quickly widens,” says Thele to Langrenn.com, and continues:

“We got it a bit wrong with the skis today. They were not quite optimal. It got much colder than we thought it would be, and the skis we chose turned out to be heavy.”

Now, the two were already looking forward. For Northug, a 30-kilometer skating race in the same area on Sunday, while Thele will not race until the next event in the Ski Classics: Engadin La Diagonela in Switzerland on January 20.

“We are eager for revenge and will be much better prepared next weekend,” says Thele.

Also Read: Andreas Nygaard and Ida Dahl winners at 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon 2024

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Sunday – Northug on the Podium

On Sunday, Petter Northug took his season’s first podium: won the age class (35-45) and was third overall at the Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge in Italy.

The 30km long race in freestyle technique started in Niederdorf at just over 1,100 meters above sea level and ended up at Prato Piazza at 2,007 meters above sea level. 

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Northug finished in 1.36:02 and was more than two minutes faster than roller ski World Champion Matteo Tanel in seventh place. 

Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge – Top 3 Men
1. Paolo Fanton, Team Futura White Fox/Italy, 1:35.11.5
2. Daniel Debertin, Eintracht Braunschweig/Germany, 1:35:15.5
3. Petter Northug Jr., Team Janteloppet/ Norway, 1:36:02.7

Complete results

In the women’s field, Justyna Kowalczyk finished with a superior victory. The former World Champion won by a margin of almost six minutes. 

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Ski Classics Season XV

Next up is Engadin La Diagonela in Switzerland on January 20, 2024. The event marks the sixth Ski Classics Pro Tour stage of Season XV.

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XV (2023/2024)

• Event 1: December 9, 2023 – Bad Gastein PTT, Austria, 13km
• Event 2: December 10, 2023 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Austria, 36km
• Event 3: December 16, 2023 – La Venosta Criterium, Italy, 35km 
• Event 4: December 17, 2023 – La Venosta ITT, Italy, 10km
• Event 5: January 13, 2024 – 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon, Italy, 62km
• Event 6: January 20, 2024 – Engadin La Diagonela, Switzerland, 56km
• Event 7: January 28, 2024 – Marcialonga, Italy, 70km
• Event 8: February 11, 2024 – Jizerská50, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 17, 2024 – Grönklitt Classic, Sweden, 60km
• Event 10: February 18, 2024 – Grönklitt ITT, Sweden, 13km
• Event 11: March 3, 2024 – Vasaloppet, Sweden, 90km
• Event 12: March 16, 2024 – Birkebeinerrennet, Norway, 54km
• Event 13: April 6, 2024 – Reistadløpet, Norway, 50km
• Event 14: April 7, 2024 – Summit 2 Senja, Norway, 60km
• Event 15: April 13, 2024 – Ski Classics Grand Finale – Janteloppet, Norway, 100km

More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour can be found at skiclassics.com