Michal Novak from the Czech Republic is the most delightful color splash at the start of the ski season. Ilkka Jarva, who knows him well, tells us what kind of guy he is.
Two weeks ago in Ruka, the Czech national skiing team had the best time. In the men’s 20 kilometer co-start race Michal Novak27 raced to second with his handsome long keel, achieving his first podium finish in the World Cup.
At the same time, Novak ended the country’s long torment, for the Czech Republic, the individual podium place was the first in ten years in the World Cup. The country’s skiing legend Lukáš Bauer in 2013, celebrated the victory of the 15 km traditional intermediate start race in Ruka.
The early season has been surprisingly less for the men than the superiority of the Norwegians, but in the overall competition, Novak’s name stands out in the top places. After Saturday’s traditional sprint, he dropped from third place to fifth.
Finn Ilkka Jarva in the years 2017–2019, he was first the head coach of the Czech national skiing team and the advisor of the second team. He knows what a podium place means for skiing in the country.
– The team had an amazing party in Czech style. Maintenance managers cried.
– I noticed at 15 kilometers that Michal doesn’t have to do anything in the group. You won’t find three better creams. I was really nervous, says Jarva.
Finally a new star skier
Novak’s podium finish is a nice boost to international cross-country skiing, as the Czech Republic is known for its wonderful skiing traditions.
Kateřina Neumannová achieved one Olympic gold and two world championships in the early 2000s. Bauer, on the other hand, is especially remembered as a ferocious World Cup rider who won the overall race twice and the Tour de Ski no less than three times.
In 2010, under Bauer’s leadership, the country’s men achieved Olympic bronze in the relay, but in recent years the success machine has coughed up.
However, according to Jarva, years ago it was already clear that the Czech Republic would get a new star skier in Novak.
Five years ago, at the World Junior Championships in Lahti, Novak was second in the ten-kilometer race for the under-23-year-old category. Among other things, the Norwegian star who won the World Cup last season was left behind Harald Östberg Amundsen.
– Michal was ambitious in sports and studies. He tried to study robotics at a technical university, but dropped it and focused on skiing. The year 2019 was good because of that, after which he has only improved, Jarva says.
1. Pål Golberg NOR 379
2. Harald Östberg Amundsen NOR 376
3. Johannes Hösflot Kläbo NOR 317
4. Erik Valnes NOR 309
5. Michal Novak CZE 294
6. Martin Löwström Nyenget NOR 246
As a challenger to the Norwegians
Novak is a very versatile skier. He was fourth in the traditional sprint at last winter’s World Championships.
Novak has both strong oxygen absorption capacity and speed and power generation properties.
– The ability to absorb oxygen must be in the top class. The ability to produce power must also be in order to be able to go hard enough. That combination is the most important when it comes to winning cross-country competitions.
Finnish men’s skiing lacks a tough all-around skier who can compete in the World Cup at a tough level in both types of skiing, from sprints to normal distances. Novak, on the other hand, is just such an individual.
Novak is the type of skier for whom the Tour de Ski at the turn of the year is perfect.
– He is someone who can challenge the Norwegians then, Jarva refers to the overall World Cup competition.
A polite robot
Jarva says that Novak was called “Robot” within the team.
– Partly it was because he studied robotics, but also because of his rigid nature. When it went bad, it said “The robot has bad settings”. When I went, there were good settings, Jarva says about the funny nickname.
Jarva describes Novak as a very considerate guy.
– You can imagine him as a guy who, after his career, wears a tailcoat everywhere. He was a really polite and down-to-earth guy.
– It is certainly not the case that he would come to the service booth to bark skis. He is the kind of person who is easy to get along with, Jarva adds.