By Inge Scheve, Madshus
Norwegian national team director Åge Skinstad says to the Norwegian online newspaper www.nettavisen.no that Norway could need the 38-year-old for the World Championships next year. The legendary Madshus racer competed in seven World Championships during his active career from 1994 to 2003, and helped himself to gold medals at all of them.
– Thomas is a natural talent and he has an impressive training base. With a systematic approach to the championships next year, starting now, there is no doubt that he could be a strong addition to the team line-up for the 50K, Skinstad says to Nettavisen.
Alsgaard has trained a lot with the national team leading up to this season, aiming to win the venerable Swedish Vasaloppet in March. Last weekend, Alsgaard hauled in to second place at the 50K FIS Marathon Cup race “Jizerska Padesatka” in the Czech Republic. On January 31, Alsgaard will race the Marcialonga (ITA) before putting in a solid block of work for the Norwegian television station NRK during the Olympics in Vancouver, where he will be their expert commentator.
However, Alsgaard says to www.langrenn.com that he considers himself a master fitness skier. That despite pulling into an impressive fifth place in the 2008 Vasaloppet, on only marginal fitness base ad minimal race prep.