It was in the final stretch of the men's 48-kilometre roller ski race in Trollhättan that the tight lead group suddenly split in half and took two different routes.
There were two marshals; one pointed left and one pointed right, so it became incredibly unclear, Edvin Anger tells TV4 about the situation.
After a few minutes of racing, the two groups converged on the same road again, and shortly afterwards there was a sprint finish, with Alvar Myhlback first across the line.
“Sad for everyone”
"I don't know what happened and I don't know if I was in the group that did the right thing or the wrong thing. It was a bit chaotic, that's what happens," Myhlback said after the finish.
Tobias Mattsson, race director for Alliansloppet, said the jury would meet to investigate the incident.
"It's extremely unfortunate, it's sad for everyone involved," Mattsson said.
Just over an hour later, it was clear that Myhlback would be stripped of the victory and finish fourth. The winner was instead Briton Andrew Musgrave, followed by Norwegian Ole Jørgen Bruvoll. Swede Axel Jutterström came in third.
“Bad mood”
Anger finished 16th.
According to local newspaper TTELA, only two skaters took the correct route all the way. Despite this, no one was disqualified, and the jury decided that changes in the finishing positions were enough.
Bruvoll and I are the only ones going the right way today. I felt it was the right way, if you just follow the TV camera it will be the right way. Everyone knew it had gone wrong and that there would be a bad atmosphere, Musgrave tells TTELA.
But I'm very happy!
All-Norwegian podium
On the women's side, it was a Norwegian sweep at the top of the results list.
Astrid Øyre Slind won in 2.03.26. This year's Vasaloppet winner Emilie Fleten came second, just over a minute behind Slind. Compatriot Magni Smedås was third.
The best Swede was Moa Hansson in sixth place, two seconds ahead of Alvar's younger sister Vera Myhlback in seventh place.
