Stavås Skistad was outstanding in the race, but in the race for another podium, Lotta Udnes Weng came like a bullet.

She flew past Anna Svenden and Ingrid Andréa Gulbrandsen, and crossed the finish line to second in the sprint during the national opener in Beitostølen.

However, it didn’t take long before Lotta Udnes Weng revealed directly that she had been disqualified.

– I was told that I have now become a disk. “I slid a little bit on the run,” he told NRK.

He also said that he had received yellow cards for skating several times in the past during the classic sprint at Beitostølen.

– So it would be ridiculous if I did it again today and became a dishwasher, said Udnes Weng and continued:

– That’s appropriate. I saw the video and there was no doubt that I skated. You should be a little bit in the gray zone, but this is in the black zone.

– Why did it happen like that?

– I want to speed up my running and not think too much. When I look at it in retrospect, I didn’t realize it was me.

– Sit at home and laugh

Despite missing the podium, Udnes Weng was satisfied that his disqualification rather than a yellow card took him further into the season.

Twin brother and overall winner of last season’s World Cup, Tiril Udnes Weng, missed this weekend’s race in Beitostølen and the World Cup opener in Ruka next weekend due to illness.

– Tiril is sitting at home on the sofa and she is laughing now. He always bullies me to get a yellow card. Today it turned red, said Lotta.

Udnes Weng’s move in the final ensured Gulbrandsen finished second and Anna Svendsen took the final step on the podium.

– Norway’s best sprinter

In the final, prologue winner Ingrid Andréa Gulbrandsen set the pace, but Stavås Skistad kept up with her before she took the lead into the final corner.

Then there is nothing to do with the athlete Konnerud, who started the season perfectly.

– Kristine Stavås Skistad is still Norway’s best sprinter, says NRK commentator Jann Post.

– It tastes really good. I’m very happy about this, Stavås Skistad told NRK.

– You’re excited about where other people are, but I know I’m in a good place, he answered a question about whether he had any doubts about his position before the start of the season.

Prologue sensation on the podium

– It’s great to see this training come to fruition here, Gulbrandsen told NRK.

The 23-year-old surprised with a super time in the prologue, which he beat Svendsen by 5.4 seconds. The gap to Stavås Skistad was a full seven seconds in the prologue.

– This is a little surprising. This is very good, said NRK commentator Jann Post as Gulbrandsen crossed the finish line in the prologue.

In the quarter-finals and semifinals, Gulbrandsen advanced in control, before the Bardufoss athlete completed everything with a podium. That might be enough to earn Ruka a World Cup berth.

– Before today I didn’t think much about it, but we’ll see what happens. It’s fun anyway, Gulbrandsen said.

He has had chances at the World Cup in Drammen over the past two years, with his 20th place finish from last season being his best.

At least Udnes Weng believes Gulbrandsen and Svendsen have earned a place in Ruka’s World Cup team.

– Maybe there’s room for both of them now. That should be the case, based on today, says Udnes Weng.

Valnes won the men’s final

In the men’s sector, Erik Valnes won, narrowly ahead of Ansgar Evensen.

– It’s delicious. It was very tight!, Valnes told NRK, who thought he had good control:

– But I became very stiff in the end.

In the Swedish national opener, something went wrong with William Pooromaa:

Evensen made a big impression, and has likely secured a place in Finland next weekend.

– I hope Norway sends me to Ruka now, runner-up Evensen told NRK.

NRK commentators think he will be.

– He’s got some extreme qualities there, Evensen, says commentator Torgeir Bjørn.

National team coach Arild Monsen told NRK that “he made a good appeal today”.

NRK broadcast everything from the national opener in Beitostølen, which continues with the 10-kilometer free and classic technical on Saturday and Sunday.