Four Pro Team athletes are on a training camp at Passo Rolle. First time for Oda Nerdrum with the Italian Pro Team, Team Robinson Trentino, in the Dolomites. Training also for Tereza Hujerová, Giacomo Ponti, and Stefano Dal Magro. Long sessions at altitude with roller skiing, mountain running, and gym.
Summer, sun, heat, and the desire to rest and relax are wishes for ordinary people, certainly not for the Pro Team athletes who are looking forward to the goals of the next season. Thus, some athletes from Team Robinson Trentino, while the rest train at home according to a well-established program, have decided to spend some time together at Passo Rolle under the strict supervision of Pro Team Director Bruno Debertolis.
Intense gym sessions are interspersed with roller ski outings tackling the ramps from the Primiero Valley up to Passo Rolle, passing through San Martino di Castrozza. There are also flat sessions useful for double poling on the Primiero Valley bike path, and finally, long walks and mountain running in the presence of the fascinating Pale di San Martino, a UNESCO World Heritage Dolomite area.
Also Read – Team Robinson Trentino: Season XV highlights and future goals
Giacomo Ponti
It was Giacomo Ponti’s first time in the Robinson Trentino Pro Team after growing up in the Team Talent ranks.
“After last year in Team Talent,” Ponti says, sitting on the fence at Passo Rolle with a view of the Dolomites, “it went very well, and now, fortunately, I have entered the Pro Team. Let’s see if this year can go even better and if I have a great experience.”
You are very young; finding young people who can race long distances and double-poling is not easy. Why this choice?
“I have always liked double poling, even in regular training, even when I did cross-country races, so I have always been interested in this world. Then, I found a team that welcomed me and put me in a good situation. It is an international environment; I have new experiences and see new places.”
Skiing for a Pro Team takes work. Tell us about your hopes and dreams:
“It will be tough to achieve great results, but I try to train as much as possible because I don’t want to settle. Let’s hope for the best, and then everything that comes will be accepted. I mainly train in Livigno because I live there. I train almost always alone, five days a week, and usually do three weeks of load and one of recovery. I don’t intend to take rest days; I prefer a few hours or two of slow recovery. Otherwise, I do gym workouts and prepare for the camps, like this time at Passo Rolle.”
What’s your goal for the future?
“To become one of the strongest in Ski Classics. It will be very tough, but of course, I hope for it. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here now just for fun.”
Stefano Dal Magro
Meet also Stefano Dal Magro:
“I am from Limana (Belluno); I work part-time from Monday to Friday in the family business, so I can manage well for training both in summer and winter. This year, I started the preparation well; I am managing well together with my coach, Sergio Piller. The goal is to maintain about twenty hours a week while working, and when in camps, reach up to 27-28 hours to prepare as best as possible for the season.”
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“This is my second season in the Pro Team. The first one was not easy, but I took it calmly, accepting the results that came. The season was long because I was not used to competing so intensely until the end of March. However, I had fun, and since last year, I have seen significant improvements, and this year, I aim to do even better. I aim to maintain satisfying results in most races, let’s say among the top 40,” says Dal Magro and adds about his favorite Pro Team athletes:
“I don’t have favorite athletes; I like Andreas Nygaard and Emil Persson, the two most iconic in Ski Classics right now. I like seeing them race with me; they inspire me to go faster.”
In Italy, the focus is mainly on traditional cross-country skiing rather than long-distance. What should be done to improve that?
“I have seen in recent years that marathons have become increasingly popular even among young people, so I think it’s just a matter of time before it will become popular among people my age, seeing perhaps us taking this path.”
Your Pro Team is the most international of all in Ski Classics. How do you get along with the foreign team members?
“We immediately got along very well. Speaking English, we joke and laugh, so the group is very solid. Of course, having Scandinavians on the team helps with their race experience or choosing the right skis and materials for the race. This year, Norwegian Nerdrum has arrived. She is really nice, makes us laugh, and we make her laugh. We get along well.”
Oda Nerdrum
At Passo Rolle, the newly signed Pro Team athlete Oda Nerdrum was also present:
“It’s my first time with Team Robinson Trentino. I like it, and I get along well with my teammates. I have a really good impression of them. Plus, here at Passo Rolle, it’s stunning. I couldn’t be better.”
It’s unusual to imagine a Norwegian athlete racing for an Italian team. Why?
“I received a message from a former athlete of Team Robinson, a fellow countryman, asking if I was interested in racing for the team this season, and I said yes, thinking it would be interesting. Bruno Debertolis then contacted me, and now I’m part of this Italian team, and I can’t wait for the next season.”
Also Read: Norwegian skier joins Italian Pro Team
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What are your goals for Season XVI?
“I hope to get into the top 10 in some races. I know it’s quite an ambitious goal, but I can do it if the training goes well this summer. I particularly aim for Marcialonga, the most important race, and I would like to get into the top 10, so I can’t wait for it to come.”
The food in Italy is excellent. Does this tempt you to overindulge?
“I can’t eat gluten, so only gluten-free food. But I still eat pasta and rice at every meal, and I believe it’s the best ‘fuel’ for a cross-country skier. We’ll see this winter,” says Nerdrum, smiling.
Tereza Hujerová
Among the most motivated is Czech Tereza Hujerová, in her third season with Team Robinson Trentino.
“I believe the team is working quite well. We are an international group, and it’s an advantage for everyone because each nation is different, and we can learn something new from everyone on how to work, train, and do everything. It could be an interesting season for us. We can do a lot of teamwork in the women’s team, so I look forward to the next season.”
What do you think is the best thing about the team?
“We are like a small family. We are great friends and work very well together. Plus, the food is certainly very good!”
Read More – Tereza Hujerová: Reaching personal goal at Bad Gastein
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There’s little time to talk; Bruno Debertolis calls the four athletes to the gym session – lots of work, also with the SkiErg to practice double poling. December is not that far away!
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Team Robinson Trentino Press Release/Newspower.it
Photos: Newspower.it
