Visiting ex-cross-country skier Clara: “Luki Hofer would be a good guy”

By Christian Staffler from Reischach

The route to the back of Antholz is quite long. Especially if, like me, you start from Merano. It is a good 130 kilometers from the spa town to the South Tyrol Arena. That's why we also have from SportNews set up our World Cup quarters in the Pustertal. In Reischach, around 20 kilometers from the media parking lot in Antholz-Mittertal, we settled in with Roland Clara. Once one of the best cross-country skiers in South Tyrol, he switched gears after his career ended. The 37-year-old is now the proud operator of a Garni, which he runs together with his family. Fourcade tried cross-country skiing The guest house, which Clara took over from his parents during his active career, offers eleven rooms. “I tried it for a month and immediately realized that it was my thing,” said the Puster native. In Reischach you won't notice that a Biathlon World Championships is taking place just a few towns away. Many locals put their heart and soul into it, especially when “ours” are at the start, as a nice older lady from Unterwielenbach explains to me. Of course, this means the Puster local heroes, Dorothea Wierer, Lukas Hofer and Dominik Windisch. Roland Clara as an active participant: 2015 at Holmenkollen in Oslo. © APA/epa / Jon Olav Nesvold

Roland Clara is also following the World Cup closely, despite the packed guesthouse: “I watch a lot of sport. If I don't have time, I record it and look at it in the evening." He was never particularly interested in taking part in biathlon himself: "For me, performance on the cross-country ski trails was always in the foreground. You need luck when shooting; wind and snow can thwart your plans. This doesn't work with cross-country skiing, where you get what you deserve. It's all about form on the trail.” He fired a few shots at the Antholz targets, but never seriously considered switching to biathlon.

“Many biathletes have potential in cross-country skiing. Luki Hofer would be a good candidate.” Ex-cross-country skier Roland Clara In return, Clara believes that some biathletes would also cut a good figure among cross-country skiers: “There are many who have potential. Luki Hofer would also be a candidate and he once told me that it would really appeal to him.” They would have to change the training a bit, because biathletes train a lot more on intervals than cross-country skiers. Superstar and individual world champion Martin Fourcade has already taken part in a cross-country skiing World Cup. In 2012 he finished 15th over 48 kilometers in Sweden.

Clara herself has finished competitive sports, but her enthusiasm remains. He keeps fit by jogging every day, and skiing, ice skating, mountaineering and of course the odd kilometer or two on the cross-country ski trail are also on the agenda. For us, however, we continue in Antholz. On Saturday, when the relays are scheduled, until the crowning World Cup final in Antholz with the mass start competitions on Sunday.

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Visiting ex-cross-country skier Clara: “Luki Hofer would be a good guy”

Roland Clara was a top-class cross-country skier. He now runs a guesthouse in his hometown of Reischach. He told SportNews which biathletes would have what it takes for cross-country skiing - and which ones have already tried it.

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