FL-1000: From sand to snow

Martinez ligger som nummer ti ut fra Levajok. Dette viser at Finnmsrksløpet er internasjonal og alle kan hevde seg her.

Miquel-Angel Martinez (59) from Catalunya was number ten when leaving Levajok. He has ten dogs and is on his way to Karasjok.

Martinez trains mainly on roads as there is little snow in Catalunya, a Spanish province where Barcelona is the biggest city.

At the opening ceremony for the Borealis winter festival the speaker asked: - Why Finnmarksløpet? Martinez' answer was: - Maybe I'm crazy? He looks upon himself as a true Finnmark friend.

He has participated in both FL-1000 and FL-500 many times. His best result is number 15 in FL-1000 in 2006 and number 18 in FL-500.

Handler and wife Helena Mas tells us over the phone: - Miquel-Angel is tired but happy with the race so far. His goal is to end up among top 15. He has a few new dogs, and Kjell Brennodden has been very helpful with this years' race.

We also asked about the big change between warm Catalunya and cold Alta and how the dogs react to this. - The dogs are trained on roads, but we have access to a 30 km trail with snow sometimes. - We may use this trail in some periods when there is enough snow, but it is boring for the dogs as it goes in a circle. It is not very motivating for the dogs. The trail is in the Pyrenees, in an area with ski tracks and hills. 

This year it has been fine for the dogs as it hasn't been too cold. The dogs are used to extreme temperatures even though at the other end of the scale. They hav a bit thinner fur because of the temperature at home, and this is what creates an extra challenge for the dogs if it is very cold, says Helena.

When asked whether they will come back and race again in Finnmarksløpet or whether this is the last time Helena answers: -No we will come back for more races.