The Pro Tour Season XVII is almost here, and with it comes the second year of the Cub category, an initiative designed to bring young talent into the long-distance racing scene.
Introduced last winter, the Cub system gives Pro Teams the chance to integrate promising skiers aged 23 or younger, allowing them to test the Ski Classics format while gaining experience inside a professional team environment.
For the Pro Tour Season XVII, each Pro Team may register up to five Cub athletes for the season, with two allowed per event in addition to the regular squad. Teams may rotate Cubs from race to race, but each skier can represent only one Pro Team throughout the season.
For 2025/2026, the athlete list continues to grow. At the time of publication, 53 Cub athletes are registered: 25 women and 28 men, representing the future pipeline of long-distance skiing.
The Cub category allows young skiers to enter long-distance racing in a structured, supportive way, while giving Pro Teams a tool to identify future stars. One season after the launch, Cub athletes are already influencing tactics, visibility, and team development.
Below is the complete list of Cub athletes registered so far for the Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVII.
Women’s Cub athletes – Season XVII
(ordered by SC Ranking)
| # | Name | Nation | Date of Birth | Pro Team | Completed events (Pro Tour / Challengers) | SC Ranking |
| 1 | Anja Stolpe | Sweden | 11.04.2003 | The Youth Team | 23 / 19 | 104 |
| 2 | Camilla Broers | Norway | 26.11.2003 | Team Sport 1 Lillehammer | 15 / 2 | 147 |
| 3 | Maja Heikki | Sweden | 12.09.2003 | Team GS8 | 7 / 12 | 227 |
| 4 | Tova Andersson | Sweden | 11.05.2004 | Team Ramudden | 2 / 15 | 230 |
| 5 | Emmi Nyberg | Sweden | 02.02.2004 | eD system RSJ Team | 0 / 13 | 397 |
| 6 | Cecil Kümpel | Germany | 07.01.2005 | Cibes Lift Ski-Willy Marathon Team | 5 / 2 | 417 |
| 7 | Mie Christine Stangeland Soerensen | Norway | 13.08.2004 | NTNUI Ski Team | 5 / 0 | 691 |
| 8 | Suzette Christin | France | 20.04.2004 | Team Nordic Expérience – Coste / Fromagerie Marcel Petite | 2 / 1 | 891 |
| 9 | Matilda Bandefur | Sweden | 10.05.2004 | Team GS8 | 1 / 3 | 1271 |
| 10 | Lisa Alrik | Sweden | 16.01.2008 | The Youth Team | 1 / 2 | 1335 |
| 11 | Oda Aanestad | Norway | 09.03.2003 | Team Andiamo Fleischer Finans | 3 / 0 | 1353 |
| 12 | Emelie Olsson | Sweden | 11.07.2005 | Team GS8 | 1 / 0 | 2379 |
| 13 | Vera Myhlback | Sweden | 17.03.2009 | The Youth Team | 0 / 2 | 2752 |
| 14 | Eva Helene Andberg | Norway | 26.06.2005 | Team Rustad IL Oslo | 1 / 0 | 5286 |
| 15 | Ida Fuglenes Mathiesen | Norway | 27.08.2003 | NTNUI Ski Team | 3 / 0 | 5870 |
| 16 | Caterina Cozzolino | Italy | 03.10.2006 | Team Slavia Pojišťovna Robinson Trentino | 1 / 2 | 6911 |
| 17 | Anna Aukland | Norway | 20.09.2008 | Team Ragde Charge | 0 / 1 | 8443 |
| 18 | Alice Bourdin | France | 17.05.2005 | Team Nordic Expérience – Coste / Fromagerie Marcel Petite | 0 / 0 | – |
| 19 | Alexandra Hoffmann | Germany | 09.03.2006 | Bruse Sauerland Ski Team | 0 / 0 | – |
| 20 | Aurora Wilkens Jernberg | Norway | 19.02.2004 | NTNUI Ski Team | 0 / 0 | – |
| 21 | Ella Noora Haapalehto | Finland | 04.05.2005 | Team Edux | 0 / 0 | – |
| 22 | Helene Ekrheim Haugen | Norway | 16.04.2004 | Team Kaffebryggeriet DRIV | 0 / 0 | – |
| 23 | Ingeborg Marvik Dahl Rystad | Norway | 21.04.2007 | Team Rustad IL Oslo | 0 / 0 | – |
| 24 | Nora Doksrød | Norway | 15.11.2003 | NTNUI Ski Team | 0 / 1 | – |
| 25 | Tina Miranová | Czech Republic | 12.07.2008 | eD system RSJ Team | 0 / 0 | – |
Men’s Cub athletes – Season XVII
(ordered by SC Ranking)
| # | Name | Nation | Date of Birth | Pro Team | Completed events (Pro Tour / Challengers) | SC Ranking |
| 1 | Alvar Myhlback | Sweden | 22.03.2006 | Lager 157 Ski Team | 28 / 9 | 19 |
| 2 | Bruno Dettmann | Sweden | 10.11.2003 | The Youth Team | 17 / 14 | 74 |
| 3 | Giacomo Ponti | Italy | 20.02.2003 | Team Futura GTE Trentino | 12 / 4 | 91 |
| 4 | Erik Ola Jorde | Norway | 09.01.2003 | Aktiv Mot Kreft | 18 / 1 | 98 |
| 5 | Per Ingvar Tollehaug | Norway | 08.04.2003 | Team Synnfjell | 23 / 10 | 123 |
| 6 | Halvor Bade | Norway | 13.09.2004 | Aktiv Mot Kreft | 14 / 0 | 133 |
| 7 | Hjalmar Oscarsson | Sweden | 07.03.2004 | Team Ramudden | 1 / 16 | 205 |
| 8 | Anders Grini | Norway | 11.07.2003 | Team Sjusjøen Langløp | 7 / 1 | 216 |
| 9 | Joel Björnlinger | Sweden | 02.04.2003 | Ski Team Göhlins | 5 / 11 | 244 |
| 10 | Boris Berglez | France | 21.01.2003 | Team Nordic Expérience – Coste / Fromagerie Marcel Petite | 4 / 5 | 273 |
| 11 | Henric Thunander | Sweden | 13.07.2005 | Bruse Sauerland Ski Team | 2 / 15 | 282 |
| 12 | Matyáš Martan | Czech Republic | 21.01.2004 | eD system RSJ Team | 5 / 1 | 339 |
| 13 | Martin Mobråthen | Norway | 09.01.2003 | Team Andiamo Fleischer Finans | 5 / 1 | 430 |
| 14 | Ulrik Emil Eriksen | Norway | 07.09.2006 | Team Synnfjell | 4 / 1 | 482 |
| 15 | Elio Jarriand | France | 27.02.2004 | Team Nordic Expérience – Coste / Fromagerie Marcel Petite | 1 / 2 | 743 |
| 16 | Valter Blomberg | Sweden | 05.08.2008 | The Youth Team | 0 / 5 | 976 |
| 17 | Cristian Bertagnolli | Italy | 13.01.2007 | Team Slavia Pojišťovna Robinson Trentino | 3 / 0 | 1493 |
| 18 | Jakub Bečvář | Czech Republic | 28.06.2005 | eD system RSJ Team | 0 / 3 | 1642 |
| 19 | Edvin Håkansson | Sweden | 09.01.2009 | Team GS8 | 1 / 0 | 2526 |
| 20 | Olav Adelsten Kildal | Norway | 29.12.2008 | Team Rustad IL Oslo | 2 / 0 | 3381 |
| 21 | Oskar Fjellheim | Norway | 12.07.2008 | Team Synnfjell | 2 / 3 | 4039 |
| 22 | Jáchym Poul | Czech Republic | 24.11.2007 | eD system RSJ Team | 0 / 1 | 6115 |
| 23 | Anton Schaper | Germany | 15.03.2005 | Bruse Sauerland Ski Team | 0 / 1 | 7564 |
| 24 | Rudolf Dohnal | Czech Republic | 12.04.2005 | Bruse Sauerland Ski Team | 0 / 1 | 9374 |
| 25 | Aaron Gunnarsson | Sweden | 04.07.2009 | Cibes Lift Ski-Willy Marathon Team | 0 / 2 | 16140 |
| 26 | Johannes Richter | Germany | 09.01.2006 | Bruse Sauerland Ski Team | 0 / 0 | – |
| 27 | Samuel Szczotka | Poland | 08.09.2007 | Team Emtec Nordic | 0 / 0 | – |
| 28 | Per Finstad | Norway | 26.01.2005 | NTNUI Ski Team | 0 / 0 | – |
Long-Term Development
The Cub category continues to strengthen the long-term development of Ski Classics, giving young athletes valuable experience while providing Pro Teams with new strategic tools.
With 53 Cubs already registered and likely more to come, Season XVII promises to showcase not only today’s stars but also the athletes who may define the sport’s future.
Complete rules and more information
The complete Ski Classics Pro Tour Rules & Regulations Season XVII – Athletes & Pro Teams 2025/2026 can be found HERE
Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVII (2025/2026)
• Event 1: December 13, 2025 – Bad Gastein Pro Team Tempo – Austria – 7km
• Event 2: December 14, 2025 – Bad Gastein Criterium – Austria – 36km
• Event 3: January 17, 2026 – Engadin La Diagonela – Switzerland – 55km
• Event 4: January 25, 2026 – Marcialonga – Italy – 70km
• Event 5: January 30, 2026 – Bedřichov Sprint – Czech Republic – 1.5km
• Event 6: February 1, 2026 – Jizerská50 – Czech Republic – 50km
• Event 7: March 1, 2026 – Vasaloppet – Sweden – 90km
• Event 8: March 7, 2026 – Orsa Grönklitt 50k ITT Women – Sweden – 50km
• Event 9: March 8, 2026 – Orsa Grönklitt 50k ITT Men – Sweden – 50km
• Event 10: March 14, 2026 – Birkebeinerrennet – Norway – 54km
• Event 11: March 21, 2026 – Marcialonga Bodø – Norway – 50km
• Event 12: March 28, 2026 – Reistadløpet – Norway – 35km
• Event 13: March 29, 2026 – Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja – Norway – 60km
Read More: Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVII 2025/2026
For more updates and detailed information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour, make sure to visit skiclassics.com.
Author: Leandro Lutz
Photo: Reichert/NordicFocus
