The teammate didn’t believe Perttu Hyvärinen’s top spot: “For a moment!”

If it came Perttu Hyvärinen a win from behind the tree for skiing fans, it also came for Hyvärinen’s national team mates.

Lauri Vuorinen couldn’t believe it when they shouted to him during Sunday’s 10 km traditional style time trial that Hyvärinen was in the lead.

– On the first lap of just under five kilometers, I was shouted at for a break, that 35 seconds to the top Perttu. I wondered for a moment if I was 35 seconds ahead of Perttu or if it was really the same thing. And if it was the same thing, it was great skiing, Vuorinen laughed.

Finland’s ski service finished for four skiers using Fischer skis, Hyvärinen, Vuorinen, Arsi Ruuskanen and To Markus Vuorela great tools.

– In the ski test in the morning, there were feelings that it wasn’t really any kind of ski. Maintenance took the feedback seriously. Quartermaster Heikk of Tonteri said that nothing, they have some invented thing, so they will put the ski in good shape before departure. And that’s how it happened, Vuorinen said.

Ruuskanen described his skis like this:

– At the beginning of the race, I noticed that it was really good skiing today. I didn’t quite hit the balance push at the beginning, but still progressed nicely. On the first uphill section, I felt that the device held properly, and there were no slips. Then, on the downhill, I passed the Frenchman just by throwing him, Ruuskanen reports.

Career best

Sprint skiing specialist Vuorinen skied by far the best normal distance race of his career, when he was eleventh 52 seconds behind Hyvärinen.

– There were quite a few fireworks, even though it wasn’t a hole-in-one ski, but a solid one. At no point did I freeze and towards the end I was able to tighten up, Vuorinen said.

He was among the three fastest in the second lap of just under five kilometers.

– I set off quite calmly. As a sprinter, it’s not worth going hard when it suddenly backfires. They shouted during the beginning of the trip that we are in pretty good places when we start the second round, even though I didn’t even ski properly. Then at each intermediate point the rankings went up, that’s how enthusiastic it was.

Vuorinen’s previous best normal distance finish was 25th in the early season out of the traditional top ten of the Ruka World Cup.

Better once

Ruuskanen’s twelfth place on Sunday was the best of his career with the traditional way of progressing.

– Before the race, I thought that ranking among the top 20 would be a good achievement, Ruuskanen said.

Last season, the Finn was eighth in the Davos World Cup 20 km free time trial.

– When I heard in the intervals that Perttu would win, it was really nice to ski. It feels really good.

A decisive change

For Vuorela, sixteenth place was the second best of his career.

– Maybe I’m a little disappointed. There was better available. I froze when I went after Martin Nyengeti. I wasted 20 seconds on that climb, Vuorela stated.

The best ranking was the thirteenth place in the Trondheim World Cup before Christmas, coming from the traditional top ten.

– Pertu’s win is an incredibly great thing. That’s awesome.

Vuorela also lavishly praised his skis.

– That one hit the spot. When we tested it before the race, it was confirmed that this hole wouldn’t fit. Then before departure, changes were made.