At the end, Anger broke Johannes Hösflot Kläbo and chased leading Harald Östberg Amundsen, who with a distress call was able to hold off and win by 2.5 seconds.
– Now I’ve got here and now I’m going to complete it, got quite a few meters on him so it was fun, says Anger about the feeling of having broken Kläbo himself and taken his first podium in a distance race where he was the fastest on today’s stage – beat Amundsen by a full 1.12.
Anger is now second in the tour after Kläbo, who is 36 seconds ahead. Anger woke up with back spasms for which he received treatment.
“Celebrating as if he won the WC”
In the goal line, Anger stretched his hands in the air, which the winner Amundsen did not. With two kilometers to go, Anger was 31 seconds behind the leading Amundsen.
– He celebrates as if he has won the WC, says NRK’s expert Fredrik Aukland about Anger.
– I can accept that Anger is second, says Kläbo.
Harald Östberg Amundsen was a hunted prey and managed to win the race with great difficulty.
Built on yesterday’s individual race
Afterwards, Anger posed with World Cup leader Amundsen and World Cup runner-up Kläbo at a podium ceremony inside the stadium in Toblach, Italy. This after a distance race.
Friday is the day for a sprint, normally Anger’s best discipline.
– I need a good sprint and hopefully take Kläbo. Then I get a really good starting position before the challenging last hill, says Anger, who is in the shape of his life.
As today’s chase start was based on the results from yesterday’s individual races over 20 km, there were many numbers to keep track of.
Amundsen went out first and had overall leader Kläbo out in fifth 46 seconds behind. Kläbo’s overall lead at the start was 16 seconds ahead of runner-up Amundsen. Anger went out 1.15 behind in 14th but fifth overall.