Vasaloppet’s eleventh stage in Ski Classics and the third Grand Classics event, Season XIV, took place today in Sweden. With superior performances, Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, won the 90km long-distance race.
In snowy conditions at the start, the men and women started together in Berga By – Sälen at 8:00 CET. The action started early, and there was a thrilling race among the men and women, with Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, winning the 99th edition of Vasaloppet, the eleventh event of Ski Classics and third Grand Classics Season XIV.
VASALOPPET – MEN’S RACE
In the men’s race, the speed was high from the beginning, with Herman Paus, Team Ramudden, and Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Team XPND Fuel, taking the reins and stretching the field on the first climb.
Herman Paus, Team Ramudden, crossed first at the First Hill Climb checkpoint, 2.9km into the race, followed by Johan Hoel, Team Ragde Charge, and Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Team XPND Fuel.
At the first Sprint checkpoint of the day at Smågan, 50 skiers crossed after 10.6km within 19.5 seconds, with Vebjørn Moen, Team Aker Dæhlie, taking maximum points, followed by Alfred Buskqvist, Team Ramudden, and Paul Combey, Team Nordic Expérience.
Heading to Mångsbodarna and about 72km to go, Filip Rosjö, Ski Team Göhlins, got a gap of about 12 seconds over the main group but was brought back after a couple of kilometers.
At Mångsbodarna checkpoint, 24.2km into the race, Anton Elvseth, Team Engcon, crossed first and can start Vasaloppet next year with the bib number 100 in celebration of the 100th edition of the historic race.
At the second Ski Classics Sprint point at Evertsberg, within 48km into the race, 40 skiers crossed within 28 seconds, with Tord Asle Gjerdalen first, followed by Alfred Buskqvist and Karstein Johaug.
In the fast sections after Evertsberg, the pace started to pick up, and at Oxberg, with 28km left, 28 skiers were in the leading group within 10 seconds, with Oskar Kardin, Team Ragde Charge, in front.
When the group reached Hökberg, the field was still strong, and with 15km to go, Team Ragde Charge, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Team Aker Dæhlie were trying their luck on the front.
At Eldris, with 9km to go, the field was reduced to 5 strong skiers, with Emil Persson leading the pack and all the remaining skiers (Andreas Nygaard, Kasper Stadaas, Johan Hoel, and Petter Stakston) alert to any possible breakaway.
With about 6km to go, Emil Persson was on the offensive but couldn’t get a gap, and the race was to be decided on the final sprint.
At the last kilometer before the finish, the leading group was still solid and looking for positioning. Ultimately, the battle for the win was decided on the straight finish, with Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, winning Vasaloppet in a superb sprint.
Persson is the first Swedish man to win Vasaloppet since Jörgen Brink in 2012. Today, he won his 9th race of the season and added 300 points to his Champion competition standings. With just three Pro Tour events left, he has already been granted the overall victory of Ski Classics Season XIV.
Second place, after a tight fight to the line, went to Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge, 0.3 seconds back. A remarkable performance from Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, granted him the third position on the podium, 1.0 seconds behind the winner.
Vasaloppet – Top 3 Men
- Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, 3:37:43.3
- Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge, +0.3
- Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, +1.0
Vasaloppet results can be found HERE.
VASALOPPET – WOMEN’S RACE
In the women’s race, which also started at 8:00 CET, together with the men, the speed was high right out from the start, with the women trying to hold on to the men’s peloton.
Soon the women reached the First Climb with Astrid Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, Karolina Hedenström, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, in that order, crossing the Climb checkpoint, within 25 seconds. Ida Dahl, Team Engcon, and Magni Smedås, Team Eksjöhus, some of the favorites for the day, crossed 41.8 and 43.1 seconds behind after just 2.9km into the race.
The leading woman worked well together with the men, and Astrid Øyre Slind crossed the Smågan Sprint at the 10.6km mark first, followed by Emilie Fleten, 32.9 seconds behind, and Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Ragde Charge, 1:04.9 back, with Ida Dahl crossing in the eighth position, 1:43.3 behind.
With about 70km to go, Øyre Slind still had a good gap over the chasers, with Fleten 36 seconds back and the group containing Smedås 1:08 back.
At Mångsbodarna checkpoint, 24.2km into the race, Astrid Øyre Slind crossed first, and as Anton Elvseth, can start next year with the bib number 100 in celebration of the 100th edition of Vasaloppet.
With about 57km to go, a leading duo group was formed, with Fleten able to close the gap to Øyre Slind. At the Risberg checkpoint, the first chasers were already 2:10.1 behind the leaders. Soon after, with 53km to go, Fleten increased the pace and got a gap over Øyre Slind, which was quickly losing ground.
At the second Sprint point of the day at Evertsberg, within 48km into the race, Emilie Fleten crossed first. With a gap of 2:12.0, Astrid Øyre Slind was second, with Silje Øyre Slind following 2:57.4 behind the leader. Magni Smedås was already 4 minutes behind, and Ida Dahl was more than 4 minutes and 30 seconds back.
When the leading Pro Tour athlete reached Oxberg, Fleten had a lead of 3 minutes over Silje Øyre Slind and 3 minutes and 50 seconds ahead of Astrid Øyre Slind. From there, the women’s race was about Emilie Fleten in the lead and the chasers behind.
At Hökberg, Emilie looked strong, and the lead was 2:32.2 over Silje and almost 4 minutes over Ida.
In the end, Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, paced herself perfectly to win this year’s Vasaloppet in superior performance, in a total time of 4:04:08.4, and her first-ever Ski Classics Pro Tour victory.
Second place went to Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, 2:32.6 back, and her best Ski Classics Pro Tour position. Ida Dahl, Team Engcon, completed the podium in the third position, 3:59.7 behind the winner.
Vasaloppet – Top 3 Women
- Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, 4:04:08.4
- Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, +2:32.6
- Ida Dahl, Team Engcon, +3:59.7
Vasaloppet results can be found HERE.
SKI CLASSICS COMPETITIONS – CURRENT STANDINGS
After Vasaloppet, Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Ida Dahl, Team Engcon, lead the Champion bib competition. Ida Dahl, Team Engcon, is carrying the Green bib of the Sprint competition, together with Alfred Buskqvist, Team Ramudden.
Ida Dahl, Team Engcon, and Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, carry the bib for the Climb competition. The Pink bib for the best Youth is resting on the shoulders of Karolina Hedenström, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Amund Riege, Team Ramudden.
Next up is Birkebeinerrennet on March 18. The event marks the twelfth Ski Classics stage of Season XIV and the fourth Grand Classics of the season.
The Season XIV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events on 10 event weekends in 6 different countries.
Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XIV (2022/2023)
- Event 1: December 10, 2022 – Bad Gastein PTT, Bad Gastein, Austria, 15km
- Event 2: December 11, 2022 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Bad Gastein, Austria, 35km
- Event 3: December 17, 2022 – La Venosta Criterium, Val Venosta, Italy, 36km
- Event 4: January 14, 2023 – Pustertaler Ski Marathon, Sexten, Italy, 62km
- Event 5: January 15, 2023 – Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, Niederdorf, Italy, 32km
- Event 6: January 21, 2023 – Engadin La Diagonela, Engadin Valley, Switzerland, 48km
- Event 7: January 29, 2023 – Marcialonga, Trentino, Italy, 70km
- Event 8: February 12, 2023 – Jizerská50, Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 50km
- Event 9: February 18, 2023 – Grönklitt Criterium, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
- Event 10: February 19, 2023 – Grönklitt ITT, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 12km
- Event 11: March 5, 2023 – Vasaloppet, Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
- Event 12: March 18, 2023 – Birkebeinerrennet, Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
- Event 13: April 1, 2023 – Reistadløpet, Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 40km
- Event 14: April 2, 2023 – Summit 2 Senja, Bardufoss- Finnsnes, Norway, 67km
More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour you can find at skiclassics.com.
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Photo: Daniel Eriksson/Bildbyrån
