It was even tougher for Calle Halfvarsson. The ski star has been disturbed by an inflamed bowel in front of the new tour and after going to goal as 45th he told me that he also felt scratchy.
- I have been at the border if I am healthy or ill and have been doubtful. This was a chance. We'll see if it lasts tomorrow and if I can continue the tour or not, says Halfvarsson to SVT.
Ahead of the tour premiere, 15 kilometers freely in Östersund, the 30-year-old said that he could be forced to remove part of the intestine after the season to overcome the stomach problems.
He underwent a new examination as late as Tuesday and today, Saturday, he was on the starting line at home.
Crashed in the fieldIt was not a successful trip.
Halfvarsson started out okay, was best Swedish in 13th place after 2.6 kilometers but then gradually lost. Halfway into the race, the 30-year-old had dropped to 48th place - minutes after the lead.
In goal he was 45th and sixth best Swedish.
Afterwards he tried to put into words how the thoughts went during the race.
- You just want to get off. I was told a second time on the second lap, I thought I heard wrong, but it was something that I was in 40th place. You just want to break, but you just have to fight on. There is hope that one may come to life in the coming days, says Halfvarsson to SVT.
"No sense"At the same time, he opens to break the tour.
- If it doesn't get better, there is no point in going. There is no point in being down and harrowing on these placements. At the same time, I want to compete, this is what you have been training for all summer and then you fight on, says Halfvarsson, who still believes in starting in Sunday's hunting start.
- I think so.
In the tour premiere it was Norwegian in the front. Sjur Røthe won 1.7 seconds ahead of Simen Hegstad Krüger and another 14.9 ahead of Finn Hågen Krogh. Martin Johnsrud Sundby turned four and Russian advance favorite Alexander Bolshunov fifth.
The tour continues with 15 kilometers of classic hunting starts tomorrow morning.