U.S. Ski Team News Bureau
http://www.usskiteam.com

Saturday, Jan. 13, 2001

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MUEHLEGG MAKES IT 2-FOR-2 AT SOLDIER HOLLOW

SOLDIER HOLLOW, Utah (Jan. 13) - Spain's Johann Muehlegg took charge at
the start Saturday and skied through light snow to win his second World
Cup race in four days at Soldier Hollow during the Visa U.S. Nordic Ski
Festival. Kris Freeman (Andover, NH) earned his first World Cup points,
finishing 29th.

 Muehlegg, who skied for Germany for 10 years before getting Spanish
citizenship about 18 months ago following another squabble with the
German Ski Federation. He finished the 15-km classic race at Soldier
Hollow in 41:54.7, more than a minute ahead of Austrian Mikhail Botvinov
(42:55.9) with Italy's Fulvio Valbusa third (43:06.9).

 Actually, Muehlegg, the defending World Cup overall champion who had
won Wednesday in the mass-start, 30-km freestyle race, ran his record in
the USA to 3-for-3. Two years ago, he won the American Birkebeiner in
Wisconsin en route to capturing the 1999 Worldloppet title.

 Freeman was racing in his second World Cup event; his final time was
46:44.0 with his older brother Justin 32nd (47:00.3). Nathan Schultz was
26th in 47:43.6.

BUDERUS CROSS COUNTRY WORLD CUP
Visa U.S. Nordic Ski Festival
Soldier Hollow, UT - Jan. 13
Men's 15-km Classic
1. Johan Muehlegg, Spain, 41:54.7
2. Mikhail Botvinov, Austria, 42:55.9
3. Fulvio Valbusa, Italy, 43:06.9
4. Rene Sommerfeldt, Germany, 43:12.5
5. Fabio Maj, Italy, 43:23.4
6. Pietro Piller Cottrer, Italy, 43:26.3
7. Martin Bajcicak, Slovakia, 43:54.3
8. Giorgio DiCenta, Italy, 43:57.9
9. Reto Burgermeister, Switzerland, 43:58.6
10. Achim Walcher, Austria, 44:12.5
11. Hiroyuki Imai, Japan, 44:20.4
12. Gerhard Urain, Austria, 44:27.7
13. Axel Teichmann, Germany, 44:38.8
14. Freddy Aschwanden, Switzerland, 44:42.9
15. Vincent Vittoz, France, 44:45.5
 -
29. Kris Freeman, Andover, N.H., 46:44.0
32. Justin Freeman, Boulder, Colo., 47:00.3
36. Nathan Schultz, Boulder, Colo., 47:43.6
41. Marc Gilbertson, Hyde Park, Vt., 48:50.5
42. Chris Klein, Utica, N.Y., 50:09.7
43. Chris Cook, Rhinelander, Wis., 50:16.8
44. Cory Smith, Littleton, N.H., 50:36.2
45. Scott Loomis, Park City, Utah, 50:49.0
47. Pete Vordenberg, Boulder, Colo., 51:08.1
48. Lars Flora, Anchorage, Alaska, 51:45.4
49. Scott McArt, Honeoye Falls, N.Y., 52.33.4
 -
DNF: Justin Wadsworth, Bend, Ore.
 --
Buderus World Cup (10 races)
1. Muehlegg, 412
2. Per Elofsson, Sweden, 345
3. Valbusa, 308
4. Tor Arne Hetland, Norway, 279
5. Thomas Alsgaard, Norway, 273
6. Piller Cottrer, 236
7. Vittoz, 226
8. Christian Zorzi, Italy, 223
9. DiCenta, 211
10. Jan Jacob Verdenius, Norway, 197
11. Sommerfeldt, 196
12. Odd-Bjorn Hjelmeset, Norway, 186
13. Kristen Skjeldal, Norway, 184
14. Frode Estil, Norway, 170
15. Christian Hoffmann, Austria, 161
 -
55. Wadsworth, 32
89. Andrew Johnson, Greensboro, Vt., 6
101. (tie) K. Freeman and Rob Whitney, Anchorage, Alaska, 2 each

- Best in the World! -