The Silver Fox, as he is called in Norway, has been delayed when he passed by the skiddo of the trailbreakers, stucked in depp snow. He had to open the trail himself until other snowmobiles came.
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Since the beginning of the race, Sigrid Ekran and Robert Sorlie have been setting the pace. Sorlie has produced an agressive first part of the race, cutting rest, on the contrary to Ekran. She, who took the 3rd place in 2009 La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc got the time back until she finally took the lead. She has left Grimsbu with a small 10 minutes lead on Sorlie. 200 kilometers are remaining in two stages of 100 and 95 kilometers. In Tolga, the last but one checkpoint, mushers have to observe an 8 hours mandatory rest. Sigrid still has 10 dogs on the line while Robert has 9 (he dropped 2 in Grimsbu2).
Last year, Robert Sorlie won the race while Sigrid took the 3rd place.
Their main contender is Inger Marie Haaland, Finnmarkslopet-1000 2009 champion. She left Grimsbu2 only one minute after Sorlie with a full team (12 dogs.) Bjornar Andersen, Sorlie's nephew, followed her one hour later. He has dropped 4 dogs before leaving, keeping only the freshests not to risk to get a dog in the bag on the 100 kilometer stretch to the next checkpoint.
The trail seems to be really deep and soft. Reports from mushers confirm that for those of the back of the pack, the trail is like sand because of the many teams passing through. The musher with tough-headed leaders used to this kind of trail will get a big advantage.
Here is the ranking of the LGO mushers (february the 6 2010 - 20:00):
(the Femundlopet 600 mushers have left with 12 dogs and are allowed to drop a wounded or tired dogs at every checkpoint)
1 Sigrid Ekran (10 dogs)
2 Robert Sorlie (9)
7 Ketil Reitan (8)
23 Barbara Inauen (9)
28 Jean-Philippe Pontier (10)
32 Daniele Rao (11)
33 Per Olav Gausereide (10)
34 Lars Hoffman (10) handler of Petter Karlsson LGO 2009-2009
40 Catherine Mathis (10)
Scratched : Jack Gaspard in Grimsbu (340 km)
On the Femundlopet 400, Arnt Ola Skjerve, the reigning Champion, is among the leading group. 7 mushers can still hope to win the race.
Here is the ranking of the LGO mushers (february the 6 2010 - 20:00):
(the Femundlopet 400 mushers have left with 8 dogs and are allowed to drop a wounded or tired dogs at every checkpoint)
5 Arnt Ola Skjerve (8 dogs)
18 Thomas Verin (french handler of Ketil Reitan) (8)
20 Salva Luque (7)
40 Radek Havrda (8)
48 Daniel Juillaguet (7)
66 Erik Martinez (7)
photo: Arbeidets Rett
All the antidoping tests done during La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc 2010 are negative....
read more...As the Iditarod is about to start, here is an interesting video that is unfolding what you find in an Iditarod sled....
read more...Jean-Philippe Pontier usually takes a small video camera during the stages of La grande Odyssee Savoie Mont Blanc....
read more...It's the fourth time that the musher from Whitehorse wins the race. He's now, along with Lance Mackey, a 4-time Yukon Quest Champion....
read more...The Swiss, a mutiple LGO veteran, is at the present time running the Yukon Quest....
read more...She reached Roros 26 minutes before another women Inger-Marie Haaland....
read more...Sigrid Ekran and Inger Marie Haaland are struggling for the final victory....
read more...Here are some pictures of most of the LGO mushers at the start of the Femundlopet....
read more...But that's not Emil on the runners, it's his wife Barbara. Because of a disease he didn't manage to get cured of, the La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc 2010 Champion had ...
read more...After he got wounded during the first stage of La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc, his participation to the first main long distance race in Norway was not sure at all....
read more...Special awards were given during the award ceremony that closes La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc 2010....
read more...Experience the emotion of the teams crossing the finish line...
read more...He planned to win the race once during the first La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc in 2005. Five years later, he has made it !...
read more...Finally he made it, after so many attempts, he is on the podium... before the last leg....
read more...
Norway [30 years old]Finisher : 2009
Sponsors :
Prize list :
Femundlopet 600 2010 Champion
Gausdal Marathon 2010 Champion
Iditarod 2007 20th Rookie of the year
Iditarod 2008 24th
La Grande Odyssée 2009 3rd
Femundlopet 600 2009 3rd
Finnmarkslopet 1000 2009 8th
Biography :
Sigrid went to Alaska to study biology. She handled for Susan Butcher. In 2007, she ran her first Iditarod and got Rookie of the year. She also took part in Will Steger Expedition in the arctic the same year.
Norway [41 years old]Finisher : 2010
Sponsors :
Prize list :
Scandream Finland 1999 2
Pirena Spain 2001 2
ESDRA EC Hamar 2007 1
IFSS WC Italy 2008 3
Alpentrail 2008 4
Biography :
Along with his wife Elisabeth Edland, Per Olav runs a successful kennel. Since 1992 Per Olav participates in Norwegian competitions and since 1998 in international competitions. This year will be his first participation in La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc.
Czech Republic [36 years old]Finisher : 2010, 2009, 2008
Sponsors : HUMI OUTDOOR - EURO HUSKY - VETERINÁR S.R.O.
Prize list :
Trophée Grande Odyssée 2007 1st
La Grande Odyssée 2008 4th
La Grande Odyssée 2009 1st
Biography :
La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc is Radek's main goal. He's working really hard on training to get ready. Which doesn't give him the time to learn english.
Radek is the reigning champion.
Switzerland [39 years old]Finisher : 2010, 2009
Sponsors : Swiss Natural Professional Pet Food, BEWE Sleds, Virbac, omis, GLA-WEL, Energizer, SILVA, Dog Vitality, Dyck Carts, LOWA
Prize list :
Finnmarkslopet 500 2008 DNF
La Grande Odyssée 2009 11th
Biography :
A doctor, Barbara runs with her husband Emil a kennel of 40 alaskan huskies. Originally living in Switzerland, they have moved to Norway to get better training conditionsand to get closer from the main long-distance teams. Barbara has been a handler for Emil for years. For 3 years, she has started to race.
France [43 years old]Finisher : 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006, 2005
Sponsors : EUKANUBA - ENERGIZER - NUTRYLIS
Prize list :
Finnmarkslopet 500 2003 16th
Finnmarkslopet 500 2004 27th
LGO 2005 11th
LGO 2006 6th
Trophée Haute Maurienne 2007 7th
Femundlopet 2007 26th
LGO 2008 6th
Femundlopet 2008 28th
LGO 2009 8e
Biography :
A physiotherapist, Daniel is one of the best french long distance musher. He entered La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc since his first edition.
Sweden [34 years old]Finisher : 2010, 2009, 2008
Sponsors : STORUMAN ENERGI AB - SNOTROLL - EUKANUBA - SLUSSFORS TRANSPORT & SERVICE
Prize list :
LGO 2008 1st
Amundsen Race 2008 9th
LGO 2009 5th
Femundlopet 600 17th
Biography :
Petter runs a farm in the summer and a sleddog tour business in the winter. He develops a special breeding for La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc. His dogs are a mix of alaskan huskies and shorthaired pointers. La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc is his main goal of the season.
France [45 years old]Finisher :
Sponsors : Proplan Ville de Digne les Bains L’enseignerie de Digne les Bains
Prize list :
Alpentrail 2008
Sédivackuv 2009
Biography :
Erik runs a successful mid-distance kennel. He is now moving to Long Distance. He wants to run the Trophée Haute Maurienne Vanoise to prepare his team for the Femundlopet.
France [54 years old]Finisher : 2008
Sponsors : Royal Canin
Prize list :
Biography :
She takes care of the dogs, litters and so... She was practicing windsurfing during more than 10 years before to be involved with sleddogs in 1990. She races in 8 dogs class, she is French champion in this class. She likes cinema (very good movies), Thierry used to say"intellectual movies"!! She is graduated from University but no use to practice mushing !!!
France [36 years old]Finisher : 2010, 2009, 2008, 2006
Sponsors : TONIVET - VETO ONLINE - DERMOSCENT
Prize list :
Femundlopet 600 2010 (21)
LGO 2010 (6)
LGO 2009 (6)
LGO 2008 (8)
LGO 2006 (8)
Champion de France 2004 mi-distance en illimité (12 chiens).
Trophée Haute Maurienne Vanoise 2007 (2)
Biography :
Jean-Philippe is at the present time the best french musher. He has moved to Norway to improve his training conditions.
Italy [47 years old]Finisher : 2010, 2009
Sponsors :
Prize list :
Biography :
Daniele is back after a convincing try in the 2009 race. If you're a careful watcher you might have noticed that he runs La Grande Odyssée savoie Mont-Blanc in sneakers! He's back so that means that he has nort already freeze his toes!
Norway [49 years old]Finisher : 2008, 2009
Sponsors : ROROS HOTELL - YX ENERGI - ROROSBANKEN - ROYAL CANIN NORWAY
Prize list :
Yukon Quest 1989
Iditarod 1991, 1992 (10th), 1993, 1994
Hope Nadezhda 1991
Femundlopet 2008 (2nd), 2009 (7th)
Finnmarkslopet 2006 (12th), 2007 (11th)
Biography :
He has been dogsledding since 1978. Educated with a Masters Degree in Fishery Science from the University of Tromsø, specialized in Inuit whaling, he lived in Alaska for 7 years in the village of Kaktovik, an inuit village with a population of 320.
Ketil is member of Team Lapland.
He also runs a sleddog tour business called Alaskan Husky Tour.
Norway [27 years old]Finisher : 2010
Sponsors :
Prize list :
Finnmarkslopet 500 2008 (3) Rookie of the Year
Gausdal Maraton 2009 - Champion
Femundlopet 400 2009 - Champion
Finnmarkslopet 500 2009 - Champion
Biography :
Arnt Ola is a much talented young musher from Norway. His 2008-2009 racing season has been impressive with 3 victories in major races. We'll have to watch him on this year's La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc and not only for the Rookie of the Year Award.
Norway [52 years old]Finisher : 2009
Sponsors : Eukanuba, Macrogard, intervet, Vi Sees..., Vom Og Hundemat, Princeton Tec., Seleverkstedet, Brynje, Lowe Alpine, Kamik, OT Sleden, MR
Prize list :
Femundlopet champion: 1996 2000 2002 2005 2007 2009
Finnmarkslopet champion: 1999 2001
Iditarod champion: 2003, 2005
La Grande Odyssée 2009: 2nd
Biography :
Robert is the most famous musher in the world. After winning all the major races in Europe, he ran the Iditarod in 2002 and took the 9th place and the rookie of the year award. He came back the following year and won. And 2 years later, he won again. His way to run his dogs slower but really longer has inspired many other great mushers. Robert has taken the 2nd place and the rookie of the year award in his first La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc in 2009. He's back in 2010 to win.