Vasaloppet, the tenth stage in the Ski Classics Pro Tour and a Grand Classics event, Season XVI, took place this Sunday in Sweden. With superior performances, Alvar Myhlback, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Stina Nilsson, Team Ragde Charge, won the 101st edition of the legendary 90km long-distance race.
In cloudy conditions, 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 Alvar Myhlback, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Stina Nilsson, Team Ragde Charge, winning the 101st edition of Vasaloppet, the tenth stage of Ski Classics Pro Tour and a Grand Classics event, Season XVI.
VASALOPPET – MEN
In the men’s race, the speed was high from the beginning, with Thomas Ødegaarden, Team Eksjöhus, at the front, taking the reins and stretching the field on the first climb.
At the only Climb checkpoint of the day at Högsta Punkten, 2.9km into the race, Alvar Myhlback, Lager 157 Ski Team, crossed first, followed by Thomas Ødegaarden, Team Eksjöhus, and Johan Hoel, Team Ragde Charge.
Right after the climb, a small group of skiers got a break, with Jeremy Royer, Team Eksjöhus, and Torleif Syrstad, Team Engcon, skiing fast at the front.
At the first Sprint checkpoint of the day at Smågan, 10.7km into the race, 36 skiers crossed within 31.3 seconds, with Vebjørn Moen, Team Eksjöhus, taking maximum points, followed by Amund Hoel, Team Engcon, and Johan Hoel, Team Ragde Charge.
At the Mångsbodarna checkpoint, 24.3km into the race, Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, crossed first, followed by Oskar Kardin, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Max Novak, Team Aker Dæhlie. The main group was solid with 49 skiers within 23.9 seconds and it contained all the favorites.
At the second Ski Classics Sprint point of the day at Evertsberg, 48km into the race, Vebjørn Moen, Team Eksjöhus, crossed first, followed by Anton Persson, Team Ramudden, and Johannes Eklöf, Ski Team Göhlins.
With about 30km to go, the main group was reduced to about 15 skiers, with the chasing group a handful of seconds behind. At the Oxberg checkpoint, 62km into the race, the leading group was now 31 skiers within 27.1 seconds, with Johan Tjelle, Team Engcon, crossing first, followed by Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, and Axel Jutterström, Team Eksjöhus.
With about 20km to go, a group of 13 skiers was at the front, with solid names preparing for the last part of the race. When the group reached Hökberg, 71.1km into the race, Syrstad crossed the checkpoint first, followed by Myhlback in second and Hoel in third, with all the 13 skiers within 6.9 seconds from the front.
At Eldris, with 9km to go, the field was reduced to 11 strong skiers, with all the Pro Team athletes alert to any possible breakaway.
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 Alvar Myhlback, Lager 157 Ski Team, winning Vasaloppet in a superb sprint and a total time of 3:28:45.7, his first-ever Ski Classics Pro Tour victory and the youngest skier to win the traditional event.
Vasaloppet – Top 3 Men
- Alvar Myhlback, Lager 157 Ski Team, 3:28:45.7
- Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, +0.8
- Max Novak, Team Aker Dæhlie, +1.7
Vasaloppet results can be found HERE
VASALOPPET – WOMEN
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 Högsta Punkten – the day’s Climb checkpoint, Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, and Stina Nilsson, Team Ragde Charge, crossed the climb first and second, with already a small lead over the women chasers. Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, and Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, some of the favorites for the day, crossed 12.0 and 12.4 seconds behind, third and fourth places, after just 2.9km into the race.
At the Mångsbodarna checkpoint, 24.3km into the race, Nilsson crossed first, with Øyre Slind 1:20.8 behind, Gjerde Alnæs 1:21.5, and the next skier, Fleten, already 3:05.0 back. About ten kilometers later, at the Risberg checkpoint, Nilsson was already 2:32.0 ahead of Øyre Slind, 2:36.9 over Gjerde Alnæs, and 4:38.7 ahead of Fleten.
At the second Sprint point of the day at Evertsberg, within 48km in the race, Stina Nilsson crossed first. With a gap of 3:38.1, Silje Øyre Slind was second, with Anikken Gjerde Alnæs following 3:38.5 behind the leader. Emilie Fleten was already 6:54.1 back.
When the leading Pro Team athlete reached Oxberg, Nilsson had a lead of 4:47.8 and 4:48.2 over Gjerde Alnæs and Øyre Slind, with Fleten already 9:37.5 back. From there, the women’s race was about Stina Nilsson in the lead and the chasers behind fighting for the remaining podium places.
At Hökberg, the gap was still solid, and the lead was 5:28.0 over Øyre Slind and Gjerde Alnæs and almost 11 minutes over Fleten.
In the end, Stina Nilsson, Team Ragde Charge, won Vasaloppet with a solid performance, paced herself perfectly to win this year’s Vasaloppet in superior performance, in a total time of 3:54:00.6, and her first Ski Classics Pro Tour event win.
Vasaloppet – Top 3 Women
- Stina Nilsson, Team Ragde Charge, 3:54:00.6
- Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, +5:10.4
- Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, +5:11.2
Vasaloppet results can be found HERE
SKI CLASSICS COMPETITIONS – CURRENT STANDINGS
After Vasaloppet, Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, and Max Novak, Team Aker Dæhlie, lead the Champion Bib Competition.
Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, and Vebjørn Moen, Team Eksjöhus, are carrying the Green bib of the Sprint Competition.
Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, and Oskar Kardin, Lager 157 Ski Team, carry the bib for the Climb Competition.
The Pink Bib for the best Youth rests on Louise Lindström, Team Eksjöhus, and Jeremy Royer, Team Eksjöhus.
Team Eksjöhus is the best-ranked Pro Team after Vasaloppet Season XVI.
Next up is Birkebeinerrennet on Saturday, March 15. The 54km event marks the eleventh Ski Classics stage and another Grand Classics event, Season XVI.
Season XVI of the Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events across 10 event weekends in 6 countries. It started in Bad Gastein, Austria, on December 13, 2024, with the Pro Team Presentation and ends in Finnsnes, Norway, with the Ski Classics Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja on March 30, 2025.
Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVI (2024/2025)
- Event 0: Friday, December 13, 2024 –Ski Classics Pro Team Presentation XVI – Bad Gastein, Austria
- Event 1: Saturday, December 14, 2024 – Bad Gastein ITT – Sportgastein, Austria, 7km
- Event 2: Sunday, December 15, 2024 – Bad Gastein Criterium – Sportgastein, Austria, 36km
- Event 3: Saturday, January 11, 2025 – 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon – Sexten, Italy, 60km
- Event 4: Sunday, January 12, 2025 – La Venosta ITT Kapron-Melago – Val Venosta, Italy, 11km
- Event 5: Saturday, January 18, 2025 – Engadin La Diagonela – Pontresina-Zuoz, Switzerland, 43km
- Event 6: Sunday, January 26, 2025 – Marcialonga – Trentino, Italy, 70km
- Event 7: Sunday, February 9, 2025 – Jizerská50 – Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 50km
- Event 8: Saturday, February 15, 2025 – Grönklitt Criterium 61 – Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 61km
- Event 9: Sunday, February 16, 2025 – Grönklitt ITT – Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 13km
- Event 10: Sunday, March 2, 2025 – Vasaloppet – Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
- Event 11: Saturday, March 15, 2025 – Birkebeinerrennet – Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
- Event 12: Saturday, March 22, 2025 – Marcialonga Bodø – Bodø, Norway, 50km
- Event 13: Saturday, March 29, 2025 – Reistadløpet – Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 46km
- Event 14: Sunday, March 30, 2025 – Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja – Bardufoss-Finnsnes, Norway, 60km
More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour can be found at skiclassics.com
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Photos: Daniel Eriksson/BILDBYRÅN
