So many expectations

It is a long time since all of the elite European dog mushers have been assembled together in the Finnmarksløpet community. This makes for some exciting days in Alta.

Tight in the 14-dog class

In the 14-dog class (1,000 km) Kjetil Bakken the perfectionist from Porsgrunn has received the title as a favorite this year. He shocked the everyone when he won the whole Finnmarksløpet the first time he raced. Now, he drives Team Norway's so called "B-team", while Robert Sørlie drives the "A-team" in the Iditarod. With five veteran dogs in the team who have experience in Iditarod and several good young dogs in addition, B-spann is not the description of a weak team. 

May-Conny Johansen from Alta is the second musher who has recieved  the title of a favorite this year. Last year she finished in an extremly strong third place in the 1000 km. She also has experienced dogs and has an iron will which people do not take lightly. The same can be said about last years winner, veteran Harald Tunheim, he is also from Alta. He always aims for the win. Some other names that created some buzz around town this morning are Arne Karlstrøm, Petter Jahnsen, Ketil Reitan, Roger Dahl, Lars Monsen and Tore Bergby. Also Ralph Johannessen can be seen as a challenger, especially if there is bad weather.

 

Also exciting in the 8-dog class

It is not any clearer who the favorite in the 8-dog class is, this is because there are so many. Although Elisabeth Edland, from Nannestad, stands out of the crowd because of the way her sprinter dogs handle themselves in these conditions. Mona Kolstad, the winner of the years Femud race, is in the same position. Some others that stand out this year are Katy Meier, Stein Are Harder, Jan Øystein Dervo, Jan Vidar Dahle, Daniel Larsen, Terje Hilmarsen, John Øivind Selmer and, last but not least Eirik Nilsen.