SWIX SKI CLASSICS. After days of sun and warm temperatures the weather changed into a heavy snowfall causing tough conditions at the 42nd edition of the König Ludwig Lauf. The 45 km race in flat terrain over two 22,5 km laps ended up with a dramatic finish in the men's competition won by Johan Kjølstad (Team United Bakeries). In the women's competition Seraina Boner took the lead from start to the finish and won her second victory.

Photo: Magnus Östh / Swix Ski Classics

The speed of the skiers was quite slow from start due to heavy snowfall, but after about 6km Team Coop released  Morten Eide Pedersen in order to get a gap and win the first sprint, before John Kristian Dahl (Team United Bakeries) and Simen Østensen (Team Centric). Then the big field kept a steady pace until second lap where Eugeniy Dementiev (Team Vitargo) got away before the second sprint which he won before John Kristian Dahl second, Andrey Tyuterev (Russia Marathon Team) third and Morten Eide Pedersen fourth. Eugeniy Dementiev had up to one minute lead to the chasing group but at around seven kilometers before finish he was overtaken by the chasing group which kept up a high speed the last kilometers before the finish line where Johan Kjølstad came in front and crossed the finish line before Simen Østensen (Team Centric) second and Daniel Tynell (Team Tynell) third.

In the women's competition Seraina Boner (Team Coop) took the lead from start and was followed by a chasing group of around seven skiers. But Seraina kept the competitors at a safe distance of up to 3 minutes until 15km left of the race when the chasing group fast gained time. Laila Kveli (Team Centric), Tuva Toftdahl Staver (Team Coop) Olga Rotcheva (Russia Marathon Team) and Susanne Nyström (Team Centric) kept changing position at the back followed by another three-four skiers. Just a few hundred meters before the finish Tuva Toftdahl Staver and Laila Kveli got a close race where the youth skier Tuva did a strong finish and ended second before Laila Kveli third. Seraina showed her strength and won her second race this season keeping the yellow bib in Swix Ski Classics while Tuva will keep her pink bib in Vasaloppet.

The Swix Ski Classics Team Competition is fronted of Team Centric, second Team United Bakeries third Team Coop, fourth Russia Marathon Team and fifth Team Vitargo. Johan Kjølstad has now the same points as Simen Østensen but Johan will keep the yellow jersey at Vasaloppet and so will Seraina Boner. In the Swix Ski Classics youth women competition Tuva Toftdahl Staver keeps the lead and Tore Bjørseth Berdal in the men´s competition. John Kristian Dahl shows again his strenght at the sprint and keeps the Swix Ski Classics Sprint jersey before Vasaloppet.
 
Standings after König Ludwig Lauf:

Swix Ski Classics Champion
Men
#    Country    Name    Team    Points
1        JOHAN KJØLSTAD    UNBA    490
1        SIMEN ØSTENSEN    CENT    490
3        JOHN KRISTIAN DAHL    UNBA    343
4        ANDERS AUKLAND    CENT    295
5        DANIEL TYNELL    TTYN    295
Women
#    Country    Name    Team    Points
1        SERAINA BONER    COOP    570
2        LAILA KVELI    CENT    360
3        SUSANNE NYSTRÖM    CENT    335
4        OLGA ROTCHEVA    RUSM    325
5        LARISA SHAIDUROVA    RUSM    294

Swix Ski Classics Sprint
#    Country    Name    Team    Points
1        JOHN KRISTIAN DAHL    UNBA    180
2        MORTEN EIDE PEDERSEN    COOP    115
3        RIKARD TYNELL    TTYN    45
4        EUGENIY DEMENTIEV    VITA    45
5        THOMAS HENRIKSEN    LEAS    45

Swix Ski Classics Team
#    Team    Points
1    TEAM CENTRIC    1300
2    TEAM UNITED BAKERIES    1230
3    TEAM COOP    997
4    RUSSIAN MARATHON TEAM    718
5    TEAM VITARGO    627

Swix Ski Classics Youth
Men
#    Country    Name    Team    Points
1        TORE BJØRSETH BERDAL    UNBA    265
2        CHRISTOFFER CALLESEN    LEAS    225
3        BILL IMPOLA    COOP    97
4        STIAN HOELGAARD    NPRO    84
5        RICCARDO MICH    ROSS    48
Women
#    Country    Name    Team    Points
1        TUVA TOFTDAHL STAVER    COOP    265
2        INGER LIV BJERKREIM NILSEN    UNBA    170
3        LINA KORSGREN    SKIP    99

Next Swix Ski Classics race is Vasaloppet on March 2nd.

More info at www.swixskiclassics.com

Press Release
Swix Ski Classics
Sun, February 2, 2014 3:20 pm

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