Skrevet av: Ingrid Pedersen/Anne-Mette Bjøru
Dato: 09.03.2005 18:18
The fastest mushers on the 88 km stretch between Neiden and Varangerbotn are May-Conny Johansen, together with Hans Petter Dalby and Petter Jahnsen. May-Conny arrived the checkpoint at 14:30 and is now feeding and taking care of her dogs. - The dogs looked very healthy and good, says handler Steinar Eriksen who is going to serve May-Conny pork chops when she has finishd taking care of her dogs.
May-Conny and Hans Petter Dalby's teams are now going at great speed. Only Petter Jahnsen has moved faster on the stage bewteen Neiden and Varangerbotn. May-Conny was sweaty after kicking and running behind the sleigh.
According to handler Steinar Eriksen, May-Conny worked quickly and well at the checkpoints both in Neiden and Varangerbotn and she has been working as a heroine with her dogs. - She has cared for her dogs and given them massages. She was in good shape and in a good mood herself, so we have good reason to be optimistic about the forthcoming stage, Eriksen says.
May-Conny has taken out five limping dogs and has only got nine dogs left in her team. Hans Petter Dalby has done the same. This does not necessarily influence the speed of the team, if we are to believe the philosophy of legendary musher Sven Engholm. He has said numerous times that you win the race on the amount of dogs you take out.
- To have dogs in the team that do not work costs a lot. May-Conny has got nine very healthy and quick dogs in her team, but I see that some mushers are keeping half-limping dogs in their teams, Eriksen says. May-Conny is a good musher and is part of a group of seven - eight other good mushers. All these can fight for a place on the winner's stand.
- Now I am going to start competing, was the last thing May-Conny said before she left Neiden Wednesday morning. The time spent on the stage to Varangerbotn shows that the mother-of-four is not out on a Sunday chill-out.
Dangerous competitor
Her husband Rune Johansen is very pleased with his wife's achievements so far. He thinks she has raced sensibly and well. She has not become stressed by other competitors or the fact that she had a slight fight between two dogs in her team.
- I am proud of what she is doing. It is only now that she is going to start racing a little harder. Now she is sure to get to the finish-line, which was her goal before the race. If she finishes among top ten she has done real well for a rookie. One thing is certain, if she gets a good ranking this year she will be hard competition for everyone in the future. She is really tough, says a proud Rune Johansen.