It was windy and sometimes snowy when the season's first cross-country ski race took place in Bruksvallarna.
Most impressed was 24-year-old Max Novak from Offerdals SK who took the lead after just one kilometer and never let go.
Both Gustav Eriksson and William Poromaa shadowed Novak throughout the race.
And during the last kilometers, they crawled closer, from a margin of 20 to about ten seconds.
But Max Novak held off and won with 7.40 before Poromaa and 12.50 before Gustav Eriksson.
- Oh, so fun that Max Novak can shake things up a bit, said SVT Sports expert Anders Blomqvist.
Bicycle trainers were the turning point
Max Novak is the cross-country skier who almost lost motivation a couple of years ago and by chance came across the cycling coach Mattias Reck who gave him inspiration to change his training and invest in long distance running.
An investment that turned out very well.
And now he won the premiere in a "regular" race.
- It will be interesting to follow him this season, stated SVT's commentator Jakob Hård.