At Rottefella, we will be paying special attention to "our" skiers, and will watch two of the favorites especially close. Dario Cologna of Switzerland has won the TdS twice, and is aiming for his third win, while Norwegian rival Petter Northug, despite having been the top international skier for several years, has never won the Tour. In a season with neither an Olympic winter game, nor a World Championship, Northug has declared the Tour de Ski his main goal of the season. Both Northug and Cologna has won races this year, and both are competing on the Rottefella Xcelerator binding, along with numerous other in the field.
In the women's class, Norwegian Marit Bjorgen is regarded as one of the favorites, along with Polish Justyna Kowalczyk, who has won the Tour de Ski the last two years. Kowalczyk will try to complete her hat trick at Val di Fiemme this year. Bjorgen was the "Queen" of the world championship in Oslo in 2011, winning four gold medals and one silver. She has started the season brilliantly, and is currently leading the world cup. Both Bjorgen and Kowalczyk are racing on the Rottefella Xcelerator, and we'll be cheering a little bit extra for our challengers to the tour victory.
For more information about the Tour de Ski, see www.fiscrosscountry.com.