THOMAS WÆRNER WITH SUPERB VICTORY!

Thomas Wærner started out first from Karasjok this last Thursday afternoon, and did never return. In those 133 kilometers to the finish line in Alta, Thomas Wærner was absolutely restless and almost parked the other competitors. Neither had Inger-Marie Haaland or Arnt Ola Skjerve, the opportunity to follow this 40-years-old from Torpa in Oppland. Till Jotka, he has rushed from about 70 to 90 minutes, and has arrived to the finish line at 09.04 in a lonely majestic manner.

 

As the winner of Finnmarksløpet 2013, Thomas Wærner wins the ATV from Polaris with a value of 114 000 nok, a money prize of 65 000 nok, a trophy and a bottle of Finnmarksløpet wine. After a very freezing trip over the mountains during the night, he can’t wait to have a delicious warm dinner and a cozy night in his suite at Rica Hotel, definately far from the wilderness of Finnmark.

Before the start of the race, Thomas Wærner was perceived as the favourite of this year’s race. Together with other 8-10 mushers, he was expected to be one of those fighting for the top place. But no one could ever guess he would win this year’s Finnmarksløpet. Wærners best rank position was in Finnmarksløpet in 2011, when he was in 5th place. Last year he gave up of the competition in Levajok, after a laborious journey under extreme conditions. But 2013 is definitely his year.

Victory hug: Thomas and Birgitte Wærner

This year, his racing plan worked 100 percent. On the first leg, Wærner’s dogs rested well. He sled extremely fast but without being among the fastest teams. Yet he still had great control of the forefront. The long leg to Tana bridge was heavy even for Wærnes and his team, and the decision to take the long sixteen hour nap in Tana bridge was the right thing to do, he knew it had to be right.

After Tana, the team has slow down, but that surely gave them advantage later. Number eight to Kirkenes, number five to Neiden 2, six to Varangerbotn and fifth in Sirbma. The speed was also among the best, but he excelled at a much faster speed than the others. Anyway, he constantly kept a reasonable proximity to the forefront. Out from Neiden, he was 45 minutes behind Inger Marie Haaland and a few minutes further, behind Kristian Walseth who was in the lead. 

From the next checkpoint in Varangerbotn, the distance was increased to nearly two hours to Inger Marie Haaland, who was in first back then. But while the competitors sled straight through Varangerbotn without rest, Wærnes’s dogs spent two hours on the straw, having proper food while enjoying the sun of Varangerbotn, before continuing on to Sirbma. This break would prove to be decisive for the outcome of the race.

The 85 kilometers on the Tana river has brought hard challenges to most mushers, but Thomas Wærnes had no problems at all. His leg to Karasjok was raw. Not only brought him into the front of the race, as he also overpassed all mushers on the icy river, and got a head start of 16-17 minutes to Kirkenes. There was now the fear that he could have run way too hard on his way to Karasjok. Maybe the dogs would become too tired to be able to recover after the poor eight hours of mandatory rest in Karasjok, but the fear was unfounded. Wærnes had full control and has distanced himself from the others, when sledding from Karasjok to Alta.

 

There are no questions or doubts about his victory in Finnmarksløpet 2013. Thomas Wærnes won a convincing and deserving victory.

Read about Thomas Wærner here.