Tönseth finished fourth in the World Cup Premiere in Ruka in early December and then chose in the middle of the burning ski season to invest in cross-country skiing and the European Championships in Lisbon the following week.
The Norwegian did not make it right and became 25th, 1.5 minutes after the victorious Swede Robel Fsiha, who peeled and took Sweden's first gold on the men's side ever. It was the same weekend that Lillehammer organized world cup competitions in skis.
Tönseth participated in other cross-country races during the autumn with great success and was then given weathering to expand the run. He did it in Norway almost insane and opted out of national sports cross country skiing.
Disease disturbed before terrain European Championship- I was sick before Portugal so (Eirik Myhr) Nossum (coach) got it right that it was not wise to run. After that I have not got it to sue and have no answer as to why, Tönseth tells NRK after he is 24th overall in the Tour de Ski.
Tönseth opened the season strongly and won the Norwegian premiere in Beitostölen, but that is not true at all now.
- I trained well during Christmas but didn't get it right, but I hope the form will be rising, he says and aims to reach the podium in Toblach's 15 km with individual start on New Year's Eve and the same distance with hunting start on New Year's Day.
Coach Nossum is reluctant to criticize regretful Tönseth's choices.
- I am rarely wrong, smiles Nossum when NRK forwards Tönseth's comment about terrain European.
- He did very well in cross-country skiing and I expect to see him high up in the results list in the future in the tour, says Nossum and wants to encourage the confused Tönseth.
For the results in the Tour de ski: