Skrevet av: Ingrids Pedersen/Olav Hatlen/Stefan Sanne
Dato: 11.03.2004 08:57
The extremely mild weather is creating big problems for the Finnmarkslopet on Wednesday. After a minor change of course was already decided upon around 9 o'clock p.m., the necessity arose to introduce a bigger change around 11 p.m. just after Bjørnar Andersen had left the checkpoint in Pomak to head towards Sirma. Roger Dahl, one of Andersens biggest competition, jumped on a scooter and went straight after him to inform Andersen of the changes. The additional supply that was necessary for Andersen to complete the stage was handed out to him in Holmesund along with the permission to use his emergency supplies.
The Finnmarkslopet-team has been working hard to keep the trail of the Finnmark in a decent condition. But around 11 p.m. the race marshall had to decide after a scooter ride along the trail that the effort was not good enough and that the course would need to be changed even more. There was 15-20 cm of water on the trail making it impossible to create a hard pressed trail. It was decided that the drivers should be going straight towards Levajok. This means that the checkpoint in Sirma was cut out and an alternativ way was introduced.
- We are using all means possible to get the news of the changed trail to Andersen as fast as possible, we need to stop him. About six or seven minutes after the message from the race marshall had come in, Roger Dahl took a scooter and went after Bjørnar to inform his competitor. According to the technical delegate Rita Hallvig Frode Holten also stopped and made no move to go out earlier than 40 minutes afterwards.
Jury decision
- The jury will make a statement with all details this morning. In case of necessary time adjustments, they will be carried out at the mandatory rest in Karasjok, states the race marshall Marit H. Hoveid. She is glad that the mushers are so understanding, that the organisation has no power over the forces of nature.