Who will be victorious in 2006?

It is already clear that the competition in Finnmarksløpet 2006 will be hard. Both classes will include former winners, veterans seeking revenge and young mushers who are keen to fight for the best places. And Finnmarkløpet’s veteran Arne Oddvar Nilsen (photo) is already contemplating who’s going to do well in March.

Many of the favourites are already signed up for the race, but some names are still missing. Most likely all will be signed up by the deadline which is December 1st.

Arne Nilsen has been studying the results of the six long distance races in Norway in 2004 and 2005 - Pasvik, Femunden and Finnmarksløpet. Read about his conclusions here:

Open class, 1000 kilometre
Obviously we cannot forget super veteran and winner of FL-1000 2005, Roger Dahl from Alta, who has started 5 of the 6 races and averages in 3,4th place! That is very tough to match.

Others who cannot conceal their talent is Hans Petter Dalby from Skedsmo who has started 4 of the races and averages 3,8. Rune Johansen from Alta and his team (raced most competitions in 2004 and 2005 by his wife Conny) is also a strong musher.

In the next group we find very strong teams like Harald Tunheim from Alta (second in FL 1000 last year), Ralph Johannessen most often from Geilo, Tore Bergby from Luksefjell, Petter Jahnsen from Tufsingdal outside Røros, super veteran Arne Karlstrøm from Alta (will it be his year in 2006?) and Finnmarksløpet’s recurring guest Kjell Brennodden from Folldal.

"Runners up" against this company of great mushers may well be teams like Jan Bjerkeli who reached a very strong end result in the Femund 500 in 2004. Emil Innauen from Davos did an impressive race and ended 5th in Finnmark 500 in 2005. Other mushers to keep an eye on are Trond Ørslien from Vestre Gausdal, Thomas Werner from Nord Torpa and Thomas Rosencrantz from Kiruna and Switzerland.

Other teams from former years’ lists that it would be nice to see starting this years FL-1000 is of course any team from Team Norway, as well as Øyvind Skogen from Skien who ended 4th in the Femund 500 in 2004.

8 - dog teams, 500 kilometre
Even though he didn’t strike gold in the FL-1000 in 2005, Stein Are Harder from Varanger must accept that he is among the favourites. After ending 4th in 3 out of 6 races he is on top of my ranking, followed closely by Jan Vidar Dahle from Båtsfjord who had an impressive finish in last years FL-1000. However, these two must count on tough competition from the ladies Elisabeth Edland from Nannestad and last 500 K race’s silver medallist Katy Meier from Slägnäs in Sweden. Den third lady, Hilde Askilt from Geilo, who won the short distance in Finnmarksløpet 2005, is unfortunately not on the start list so far.

From the results I find a second group behind these consisting of strong mushers like Atle Bjerke from Gausdal, Reidar Stenmark from Heggemoen and Ronny Frydenlund from Brummunddal. The last one ended 5th in the short Femunden in 2005.

Other mushers who can compete with anyone are teams such as Tom Ludvigsen from Hammerfest, Nina Skramstad from Hadeland and Stein Johnsen from Nordreisa.

Among other strong mushers from the ranking except Hilde Askilt, who is not on the list yet, it is worth mentioning: Jan Brunner from Trondheim, Joni Eloma from Finland, Jan Øystein Dervo from Tana and Terje Svendsrud from Drammen.

Others?

There are 69 teams signed up for the coming race so far. Among them 27 rookies. Who knows what will happen with this amount of mushers. Are there perhaps new stars twinkling among them? Mushers and teams that will experience that Finnmark was really something for them. - In addition there are some old experienced mushers on the list. Mushers who have not been on top at the finish in recent years, but who we know are excellent muhsers. We’ll know the answers during Monday the 6th and Friday the 10th of March!

Arne Oddvar Nilsen

Translated by Anne Mette Bjøru