Skrevet av: Elisabeth Bergquist
Dato: 13.03.2015 23:51
Two of Kjell Brennodden’s dogs decided to mate when he stopped to snack his team, and he was forced to take an unplanned break. Ralph Johannessen used the opportunity to pass him. Still, Brennodden managed to win the bronze medal. He has done his best Finnmark Race since 2009.
Kjell Brennodden coming into Levajok 1. Photo: Fredrik Ljone Holst.
Kjell Brennodden has been in the lead of FL-1000 throughout the race. He has rested well and kept a speed higher than most of his competitors for most of the legs. This has paid off. On the distance from Neiden 1 to Kirkenes, the team held an average speed of 15,9 km/h.
Kjell Brennodden in Varangerbotn. Photo: Dmitri Sharomov
Both Kjell and his dogs have felt the weather. Brennodden lives in Folldal, at the foot of Rondane, and winter storms in the mountain are not new to him. Still he said that the weather during this year’s Finnmark Race was some of the roughest he had experienced. At the leg from Sirbma to Levajok, he only had an average speed of 9,5 km/h.
Kjell Brennodden was met by Sigrid Ekran and Ralph Johannessen when he came to the finish in Alta. Photo: Steinar Vik
Brennodden told NRK that he realized Sigrid Ekran would win, unless something unexpected were to happen. - I have had two tough years in the Finnmark Race, with sickness and accidents. Now I am just going to have a good time and make it across the finish line, he said. He certainly did exactly that, and managed to secure his third place on the podium in nine years.