Shift operator Staffan Sandberg discovered he had something in common with the heir to the Danish throne on March 4 – a love of cross country skiing.
For as he lined up for the start of this year’s 90km Swedish race from Salen to Mora, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark was among the thousands of competitors.
The gruelling Vasaloppet is regarded as one of the world’s toughest cross-country skiing races. And with almost 16,000 competitors, it is certainly the biggest.
“At first it is always a little frantic because you are trying to get ahead as quickly as possible,” said Staffan who works at INEOS in Stenungsund. “And because there are so many who start at the same time, you can easily break a pole.”
Despite the sub-zero temperatures, the biggest problem during the race, which has one long uphill stretch, is exhaustion.
“Some people compare this race to a marathon because it’s so long,” he said.
“Whereas in cycling you can rest sometimes, you cannot during this race because you are constantly working.
“And near the end, when you have emptied yourself of everything, it becomes very hard.”
But Staffan did himself – and INEOS – proud by beating his own personal best by just 29 seconds, crossing the finish line at Mora in four hours, 22 minutes and 31 seconds.
The Danish prince finished more than two hours after Staffan, reportedly tired but with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.
“It’s been a wonderful day in the tracks,” he said.
The winner of this year’s race was Jorgen Brink who trimmed 16 seconds off the course record with a time of three hours, 38 minutes and 41 seconds.