The legendary Norwegian long-distance skier who has won 13 Visma Ski Classics races and finished on the podium 27 times, is making his comeback in 2022. Petter Eliassen will be at the starting line of Marcialonga with Team Robinson Trentino.
At the end of last season, Petter Eliassen decided it was time to stop professional skiing so he could focus on his work as a physical therapist. But, at that time, in an interview with Pro XC Skiing, Petter said that this was not a goodbye:
"I hope to be skiing a lot in the future, and I hope to do some Visma Ski Classics races", said Petter Eliassen last May.
Today, at a Marcialonga press conference, Team Robinson Trentino's director Bruno Debertolis announced that the legendary long-distance skier will be racing at Marcialonga with the Italian Pro Team, an event that Eliassen won in 2019.
"I don't see it as a comeback, but hopefully I will enjoy training and racing for Marcialonga, even though I don't train as much as I used to do. I have been doing some short double-poling sessions, strength training and sometimes I go for a run. I am not sure about the future, but it's possible that I would like to do one or two more races" said Petter Eliassen to Pro XC Skiing.
"Bruno Debertolis contacted me at the end of last season and invited me to join his team for Marcialonga" continues Petter.
Petter Eliassen believes that Bruno Debertolis is one of the great promoters of cross-country skiing in general and long-distance skiing in Italy, something that makes him feel good for being at the start line wearing the clothes of Debertolis' team.
"I think Bruno Debertolis has done a great job promoting Nordic Sports in Italy, and I believe that his values, passion, and motivation are the same as mine. Therefore, it will be a pleasure to ski with his team", says Petter.
Bruno Debertolis is also optimistic about this opportunity. For the Italian Pro Team Director, Petter Eliassen is the best double-poler that has ever competed in long-distance skiing, so watching the legend wearing the Italian race suit at the beginning of Marcialonga is an honor.
"Petter and I have been friends for a long time, so I decided to give him a call in the spring to see if he was interested in this new challenge. Petter was not sure if he would be able to train as much as before, but I told him that the most important for me would be to see all the Italian fans cheering the best double-poler ever wearing the suit of an Italian team", says Bruno Debertolis.
Then, in September, Bruno called Petter again to check if he had been training enough to give a good performance and if he wanted to join the team to share the joy and passion of long-distance skiing with the Italian skiers.
"Petter had no doubts. He had been training and wanted to join me and my team to share some good moments. Marcialonga is the main event for many fans. It is a big party, a celebration of cross-country skiing. Everybody enjoys the sunny Val di Fiemme, the good food, the mountains, and the passion that Trentino fans have for long-distance skiing", concludes Bruno.
Petter Eliassen will be a special quest on the Orsa2Levi podcast in December. Stay tuned for more information.
