By Marty Basch

Andy Newell is ready to go the distance.

Ranked fourth in World Cup cross-country sprint last season and holder of three World Cup career podium finishes, the two-time Olympian had a solid sixth place finish last week in the 1.4-kilometer classic sprint in the frigid single digit temps of Arctic Finland.

"That was the World Cup opener for sprint racing, my number one event," the U.S. Ski Team member said by phone from Finland. "It was a great way to start the season but I didn't make the podium."

The '02 Stratton Mountain School grad from Shaftsbury Vt.  is gearing up for this weekend's competition on the manmade snow-covered streets and sidewalks of Dusseldorf, Germany with a stretch along the Rhine.

Newell, 27, excels in the sprint where athletes first ski a qualification round before going head-to-head in six skier heats to advance to the finals. He also competes in relays and distance races, compiling lukewarm results this season.

During the pre-Thanksgiving World Cup opener in Gallivare, Sweden, Newell finished the 15-kilometer freestyle 87th in a race where teammate Kris Freeman cracked the top 10. He also skied the first leg of the U.S. team's 17th place finish in the 4-person mixed technique relays.

The day after his strong showing in the Kuusamo sprint in a field of 125 racers, he ended up 89th in the classic 10K.

"I'm a better sprinter, but I compare it to being a track athlete," he says. "That's like saying you're better at the 400, but you also have to compete in the 1500 and 3000."

Though Newell wants more sprint podiums and a World Championship medal he also has an eye to the 2014 Olympics and becoming a better distance racer.

"This is a transitional year for me," he says. "I'm working on getting better at distance races. Being in 80th place or in the top 30 is a slim margin. Often times 10 seconds can pick you up 15 or 20 spots."

Newell expects to spend most of the winter racing in Europe and then splits his time between Vermont and Park City, Utah, taking advantage of the U.S. Ski Team's training facilities.

Newell has also produced action cross-country ski movies showing the speed of the sport while also taking skinny skis into places like a halfpipe.

"I wanted to show what cross-country ski racing is all about but also threw in some tricks that I've been doing on my skis since I was young," he said. "I wanted to show that cross-country skiers go fast and have fun too."