Today we present the favorites in the Climb competition for Season XI. The squared patterned “lumberjack” Climb bib is worn by the male and female with the most current Climb points before each event. There are 0-2 Climb checkpoints in the events. The ten fastest men and five fastest women split times at the climb checkpoint lines will get points. The overall winner is the athlete with most Climb points after the season in each gender.
WOMEN - CLIMB BIB FAVORITES
1. Astrid Øyre Slind - Team Koteng
Astrid Øyre Slind won the climbing competition in 2019 and was second in 2020. We see her as the best uphill skier on the tour and only illness and injuries can stop her to win the lumberjack jersey this winter. In how many races will she use kickwax?
2. Britta Johansson Norgren – Lager 157 Ski Team
The key to win jerseys is getting to the starting line healthy and free of injuries. In this area none can beat Britta Johansson Norgren and that is one of the reasons why she won the climbing competition last year. Of course she can do it again.
3. Hedda Bångman – Team Nordic Athlete
After several years as a college skier in the US, Hedda Bångman is back in Sweden. She has experience from the World Cup and already in 2017 she was 11th at Ylläs-Levi. We think Team Nordic Athlete will ask her to bring home a bunch of climbing points.
MEN - CLIMB BIB FAVORITES
1. Morten Eide Pedersen – Team Nordic Athlete
With three consecutive titles, Morten Eide Pedersen is the unbeaten king of climbing. He is never afraid of maxing out in the middle of races. He says that it doesn’t take too much of an effort to go for climbing points. He will win the lumberjack bib for fourth time if he doesn’t focus more on the yellow bib.
2. Andreas Holmberg – Lager 157 Ski Team
There were several exciting battles between Pedersen and the Swede Andreas Holmberg in the climbing competition last season. Since Lager 157 Ski Team has skiers that both can sprint and that are able to win races, we suppose that Andreas Holmberg is going to focus on the lumberjack bib this season as well.
3. Ari Luusua
When Ari Luusua got third in Jizerska in 2019, he was the first Finnish skier (he is still the only one) to reach the podium in Visma Ski Classics. Not even the Olympic champion Iivo Niskanen has been able to accomplish that despite several attempts. Luusua was seventh in the climb competition last year. We think he is ready for top 3.
There is only one thing that is worrying. With a little more than a week left until the start of season XI, he has not signed for any Pro team yet.
