IRC champion goes skiing to keep fit

Andreas Mikkelsen has turned to cross-country skiing to stay in shape ahead of the 2012 Intercontinental Rally Challenge season-opener on SATA Rallye Acores later this month.

The defending IRC champion was a promising downhill skier until injury curtailed his career and prompted his switch to rallying as a teenager in 2006.

All IRC regulars undertake rigorous training regimes to maintain optimal fitness levels and SKODA UK Motorsport driver Mikkelsen is no exception.

“Cross-country skiing is very good for physical training because you train your whole body,” said the 22-year-old Norwegian ace. “I go to the mountains in Norway and the longest run I’ve done in a day is 60 kilometres. It really helps because when you are away from home competing you need to be fit and if you are fully fit you can be 100 per cent concentrated.”