Northug and Alsgaard hard against the new rules on the length of the sticks

74 th place in the 15 km classic technique of BeitostÃ¸len not seem to have scratched the safety of Petter Northug, nor his polemic. Shortly after the conclusion of the first round of the Beitosprint, the Norwegian champion has in fact thrown against new rules that limit the length of the sticks to 83% of that of the body to the alternating races.

Friday 18 November 2016 2 minutes reading time

"Athletes should be free to use chopsticks length they want," said Northug, who made it clear not to speak out of personal interest, and indeed to be convinced that he can also collect successes with newly introduced standards. The concerns of the Mosvik 30 year old are also shared by Thomas Alsgaard, head of LeasePlans Team: "They changed the five to six weeks rules before the season. This means having to change the gesture and as a result having to start work on technique. It's frustrating". Northug said he was also opposed to the proposal to ban the push slipped in some parts of the track, but not adopted, for the moment, in the World Cup. A Northug and Alsgaard replied another Norwegian sample as Vegard Ulvang: "We of the FIS are trying to preserve the classic technique. We will succeed, however, if the environment will oppose the new rules. " In addition to disassemble the measures taken or considered by the International Federation, Northug has however launched a counter-proposal: "I believe that to save the classic technique is appropriate to play the races on hard tracks. I think for example in Holmenkollen and Falun. That should be the standard. On tracks like Dobbiaco should not take place in classic races. "