The classical-style sprint races in Drammen, Norway (forty-some kilometers southwest of Oslo) are a great event. In their fifth year this season, they're run right through the city center in the middle of the day, and Norway being Norway, the crowds are accordingly massive. The Norwegian men are likely to duplicate their success last weekend at Lahti, but the women's podium will feature non-Norwegian recent winners at Drammen.
men: 1) Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset, 2) Jens Arne Svartedal, 3) Eldar Rønning
women: 1) Virpi Kuitunen (Finland), 2) Petra Majdic (Slovenia), 3) Astrid Jacobsen (Norway)
In other news, Laura Valaas, blogger extraordinaire, liberal-arts grad, and hella fast sprinter, just took the silver medal at the Under-23 World Championships in Tarvisio, Italy - a key stepping-stone to big-time success on the World Cup. Congratulations, Laura!