Tomorrow at 13:40 CET the elite ladies start their 48 km Alliansloppet roller-ski race in Trollhättan, Sweden, followed by the elite men at 13:55. The event is also the first installment in the Visma Ski Classics Challengers first season, a concept implemented earlier this year as a new platform connected to the Visma Ski Classics Pro Tour in order to connect and promote long distance skiing events worldwide.
"Launching the Challengers serie is a huge new step for Visma Ski Classics, being able to connect with Pro Tour as well as recreational skiers year around to continue to develop and promote our sport of long distance skiing. Being in Alliansloppet when we launch the Challengers series is a very safe and comfortable start. Alliansloppet is a very well organized thrilling event with a fantastic event center in the city center of Trollhättan, Sweden.
When you launch a new concept there are always improvements to be made and the first season of Challengers it will be continuously developments. In September Visma Ski Classics will launch a new interesting function called My Pages connecting Challengers and Pro Tour events for both Recreational and Pro Team athletes ..." says David Nilsson CEO Visma Ski Classics
Based on the start lists we are going to witness thrilling and tight fights both in the men’s and women’s categories for tomorrows´race. In the women’s race, last year’s winner and the current World Champion in roller-skiing Linn Sömskar will be a tough competitor to beat. Team Koteng skier Astrid Øyre Slind has proven to be a force to be reckoned with on roller-skis this season as she won the 60 km Blink Classics race and the tough 7.5 km Lysebotn uphill race in double-poling last month. Kari Vikhagen Gjeitnes was 4that Alliansloppet last year, and Hanna Falk is another athlete to watch out for as she won the race in 2016, and being a sprinter she has the capacity to drastically change her tempo at the end, and Britta Johansson Norgren is on the start line...
In the men’s race Andrew Musgrave, who leads the Guide World Classic Tour, has been very powerful this summer. A tough opponent will be Calle Halfvarsson, two-time podium skier at Alliansloppet and last year winner Håvard Taugbøl.Former BN Bank and newly recruited Jobstation Rossignol skier Morten Eide Pedersen has placed himself among the top 8 finishers in his last four races and is always a strong athlete in the field same as Petter Eliassen, who won Alliansloppet in 2016. The former roller ski Champion Anders Mølmen Høst excels in the sport and can be hard to beat. After all, he is a two-time podium skier at Alliansloppet.
Alliansloppet will be live streamed on Visma Ski Classics Facebook page with following winner interviews. Live results and Split times is available in the Visma Ski Classics Live center on www.vismaskiclassics.com
Next upcoming Visma Ski Classics Challengers event:
2019-08-18 Ushuaialoppet 50km Classic Technique Argentina
