Skrevet av: Niels Westphal/Translated by E. Bergquist
Dato: 12.03.2014 09:48
After Ronny Frydenlund left Varangerbotn this morning it was only a matter of minutes before Harald Tunheim was chasing him down the trail. Sigrid Ekran and Birgitte Næss Wæsrner did not linger either, and were soon to follow the two in the lead. The distance between the top 4 mushers was only about 90 minutes.
CHASING THE LEADER: Harald Tunheim is chasing Ronny Frydenlund. Photo: Kjell O. Brun
Unlike last year, when most teams in the lead pack did not rest at cp Varangerbotn and had to pay for that during the next legs of the race, everyone gave their dogs between 2.5 and 3 hours of rest by the museum this year. Birgitte Næss Wærner arrived last of the four lead pack teams, rested shorter than the other and has thus narrowed the gap to the teams ahead of her. But even she managed to let her dogs get 2.5 hrs of rest.
EVERYONE REST: None of the lead teams took the chance on not resting at all in Varangerbotn. Photo: Therese N. Andersen
Arne Karlstrøm and Steinar Kristensen are also within reach, and they have not given up the hope of a top 3 position. However, in comparison to the four teams ahead of t hem they appear to be slowing down and unable to keep up the speed of the lead pack to Varangerbotn. It remains to be seen if that trend may change.
UP CLOSE: It remains to be seen whether they can keep up the speed of the teams ahead.. Photo: Alexandra Nemeth