Bruno Debertolis, Pro Team Director of Team Slavia Pojišťovna Robinson Trentino and winner of the Pro Team Director award in Season XVII, shares his thoughts on the Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII calendar.
Bruno Debertolis, Pro Team Director of Team Slavia Pojišťovna Robinson Trentino and winner of the Pro Team Director award in Season XVII, shares his thoughts on the Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII calendar, from the Bad Gastein opening block to the Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja, and everything in between.
Also Read: Pro Team Director Season XVII – Bruno Debertolis
A calendar that earns approval
Debertolis does not hide his enthusiasm for what Season XVIII has in store. He appreciates in particular the way the events are distributed across the winter, with recovery weekends built into the schedule between the busier stretches.
“Honestly, I like the Season XVIII calendar. There are many races, but they are spread thoughtfully across the winter. I have always been a fan of multi-stage formats, and next winter will feature quite a few weekends with two events, approved,” says Bruno Debertolis, Pro Team Director of Team Slavia Pojišťovna Robinson Trentino.
Read More: Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII
Bad Gastein: a chance to open the season in style
For Debertolis, the four-event opening block in Bad Gastein represents a genuine opportunity to set the tone early and build a strong points haul before the Christmas break.
“It would be great to start well in December. With four events in Bad Gastein, if you arrive in the right condition, you can really open the panettone at Christmas in a completely different spirit. We will prepare the opening block at altitude to arrive there in the best possible shape. It is a great opportunity to bring home a good points haul, both for the individual athletes and for the team,” says Debertolis.
The Grand Classics: where the season is decided
When asked which segments of the calendar will be most decisive for the overall standings, Debertolis points to the two Grand Classics blocks, late January to mid-February, and early to mid-March, as the moments where seasons are won or lost.
“Every season is different, but I believe the two blocks, late January to mid-February and early to mid-March, with the four Grand Classics events will decide the final standings, as they do every year. They carry far more points than other races, and they are so highly charged emotionally that in trying to give 101 percent, you can make giant leaps forward but also make costly mistakes,” says Debertolis.
Among those events, Marcialonga holds a special place. “The Marcialonga weekend is sacred; it is also the only Italian event on the calendar. The same goes for Jizerská50, the home of our main sponsor Slavia. Then there is Vasaloppet and Birkebeinerrennet, the essence of our sport,” he adds.
Managing a long and diverse season
Spanning 9 weekends across 6 countries from December to April, Season XVIII places significant logistical demands on every Pro Team. Debertolis sees the calendar’s structure as an asset in that regard.
“As I said, I like the calendar above all because there are not many consecutive race weekends. This allows us to travel in a much more relaxed way. We will often return home between races, and that will allow everyone, athletes and service staff, to recharge, especially after the double-event weekends,” says Debertolis.
Sweden: three events, two weekends, one goal
The Swedish segment, combining the Oxberg–Mora Sprint Women and Men with Vasaloppet the following weekend, will require careful management of athlete energy and recovery.
“That will definitely be a period that keeps us in Sweden for at least 10 to 12 consecutive days. The athletes will certainly need to stay calm, especially after the Oxberg weekend, to refine their preparation and get ready for Vasaloppet in the best possible way,” says Debertolis.
Ambitions for Season XVIII
Coming off the Pro Team Director award in Season XVII, Debertolis is not resting on his laurels. He is quick to credit the team around him and sets his sights high for the season ahead.
“The Pro Team Director of the Season award was a source of great satisfaction and inspiration for the future. It was the closing of a circle after almost ten years of hard work, dedication, and passion for this wonderful sport, from my service staff and from myself. It is an award given to the team director who had the good fortune to have a fantastic group alongside him. Can there be an award for the best service team? Mine would deserve to win it at the first edition,” says Debertolis with a smile, before adding:
“The ambitions and expectations for Season XVIII are high. We will have a strong squad with a lot of potential, and I am certain we will have a great season. You will find out very soon who our skiers will be; in the meantime, follow us and keep cheering for us.”
The story continues below.
Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII (2026/2027)
• Event 1: December 11, 2026 – Bad Gastein Prologue – Austria – 1km
• Event 2: December 13, 2026 – Sportgastein Criterium – Austria – 30km
• Event 3: December 19, 2026 – Bad Gastein ITT – Austria – 7km
• Event 4: December 20, 2026 – Bad Gastein Criterium – Austria – 36km
• Event 5: January 16, 2027 – Engadin La Diagonela – Switzerland – 55km
• Event 6: January 17, 2027 – Zuoz–St. Moritz Sprint – Switzerland – 30km
• Event 7: January 31, 2027 – Marcialonga – Italy – 70km
• Event 8: February 12, 2027 – Bedřichov Heat Sprint – Czech Republic – 1.5km
• Event 9: February 14, 2027 – Jizerská50 – Czech Republic – 50km
• Event 10: February 27, 2027 – Oxberg–Mora Sprint Women – Sweden – 30km
• Event 11: February 28, 2027 – Oxberg–Mora Sprint Men – Sweden – 30km
• Event 12: March 7, 2027 – Vasaloppet – Sweden – 90km
• Event 13: March 20, 2027 – Birkebeinerrennet – Norway – 53km
• Event 14: April 3, 2027 – Reistadløpet – Norway – 35km
• Event 15: April 4, 2027 – Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja – Norway – 60km
Author: Leandro Lutz
Top Photo: Nordnes/NordicFocus
