Lamov in front of everyone

Lamov in front of everyone

Andrey Lamov had a super race in the first of the two World Cup races in Norway this weekend. “I felt in very good shape”, the Russian smiles.

There were three loops in this Middle distance mass start race. Already at the first of the two map exchanges the Russian was in the lead. “I pushed hard to be in front”, he says.

The Russian was alone all the time, even though the strongest challengers were not that far behind him. At the finish, the gap to Hans Jørgen Kvåle from Norway in second place was just 13 seconds.

Kvåle was the first of four Norwegians who were all among the six best. Ove Sætra took his first top-three place in a World Cup race in third spot. Lars Hol Moholdt was fourth and Øyvind Watterdal was sixth. The Swede Erik Rost split the Norwegians with fourth place.

For the winner of the fourth World Cup race this winter, the triumph was one among many. He has won a World Championship gold three times, but still there is something missing: he has never won the European Championships. “That’s a big goal in Russia later this winter. The overall World Cup is also important for me”, he says.

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“As many gold medals as possible”, the winner smiles.

The three best in the men’s race. Photo: Erik Borg