Today’s Marcialonga Bodø in Norway was a spectacular 50km long-distance race. After a day full of action, Eirik Sverdrup Augdal, Team Eksjöhus, and Stina Nilsson, Team Ragde Charge, won the 12th Pro Tour event of Ski Classics Season XVI.
With the Marcialonga Bodø racecourse relocated to Valnesfjord, the men started at 10:15 CET and the women at 10:20 CET. The action started early, and there was a thrilling race among both the men and women.
MARCIALONGA BODØ – MEN
The men’s race started at 10:15 CET with a fast pace but no decisive action until before the Sprint checkpoint, with all the favorites in the big main group.
At the only Sprint checkpoint of the day at Graurvatnet, 7.8km into the race, Anton Persson, Team Ramudden, crossed the line first, followed by Morten Eide Pedersen, Team Eksjöhus, and Alfred Buskqvist, Team Ramudden.
At Halsvatnet, 11.7km into the race, eleven skiers passed within 6.4 seconds, with Thomas Ødegaarden, Team Eksjöhus, at the front. The first chasing skiers crossed the checkpoint 11.8 seconds back, with Jeremy Royer, Team Eksjöhus, leading the chase and Amund Hoel, Team Engcon, a couple of seconds back.
A few kilometers later and at a fast pace, the front group split, and 11 skiers got a breakaway. With 32km into the race, the gap was already 40 seconds to the chasers, including the Yellow bib Amund Hoel.
At the Natural Park checkpoint, 19.4km into the race, eleven skiers crossed within 3.2 seconds, with Axel Jutterström at the front, followed by Johan Hoel, Amund Riege, Emil Persson, Kasper Stadaas, Andreas Nygaard, Max Novak, Thomas Ødegaarden, Alvar Myhlback, Eirik Sverdrup Augdal, and Ole Jørgen Bruvoll. The first chasing skiers crossed the checkpoint 27.1 seconds back, with Herman Paus leading the chase and Amund Hoel 59.2 seconds behind the leaders.
Just before the start of the second and final lap, the chasers caught the leaders, and 24.8km into the race, 23 skiers crossed the checkpoint within 5.1 seconds, with a solid group just before the only Climb checkpoint of the day.
Heading to the Climb checkpoint, the pace at the front increased and split the group, with Team Eksjöhus taking the reins and setting a furious pace.
At Halsvatnet, 36.6km into the race, Axel Jutterström, Team Eksjöhus, showed his strength, crossing the Climb checkpoint first, followed by his teammates Thomas Ødegaarden and Eirik Sverdrup Augdal. Seven skiers crossed in the front group within 8 seconds from the front.
After the Climb, a powerful Team Eksjöhus trio broke away from the main leading, with Axel Jutterström, Thomas Ødegaarden, and Eirik Sverdrup Augdal setting a fast pace in the last 10km towards the finish line and 11.0 seconds ahead of the chasers.
Five kilometers to go, and the leading trio was still working well and holding a gap of 1 minute over the chasers. Over the kilometers, the gap increased, and the race was set to have a final sprint between the three Team Eksjöhus skiers.
In the end, Eirik Sverdrup Augdal, Team Eksjöhus, won Marcialonga Bodø with a perfectly timed sprint finish.
Second place, after a photo finish, went to Axel Jutterström, Team Eksjöhus, 0.1 seconds back, with Thomas Ødegaarden, also from Team Eksjöhus, completing the podium in third place, 3.0 seconds behind the winner.
Top 5 Men
- Eirik Sverdrup Augdal, Team Eksjöhus, 2:09:21.6
- Axel Jutterström, Team Eksjöhus, +0.1
- Thomas Ødegaarden, Team Eksjöhus, +3.0
- Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge, +1:46.4
- Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, +1:47.2
Complete results from Marcialonga Bodø can be found HERE
MARCIALONGA BODØ – WOMEN
In the women’s race, which started at 10:20 CET, it all started at a fast pace, and soon, a group of ten skiers was formed with all the favorites.
In the only Sprint checkpoint of the day, 8.1km into the race, Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, showed her speed and crossed the line first, followed by Stina Nilsson, Team Ragde Charge, and Julie Kvale Støstad, Team Ramudden.
The real action started a few kilometers later when Stina Nilsson increased the pace and stretched the front group. Soon, a small group was formed by Stina Nilsson, Emilie Fleten, and Anikken Gjerde Alnæs.
At Halsvatnet, 11.7km into the race, the three leading skiers crossed first, with Gjerde Alnæs at the front, followed by Nilsson and Fleten. The first chasing skier, Hanna Lodin, crossed the checkpoint 12.0 seconds back, with Louise Lindström, Silje Øyre Slind, and Julie Kvale Støstad already more than 28 seconds behind the leaders.
Halfway through the race, the leading trio was working well and increased the gap to the chasers to 1:22.1, with the closest skiers being Silje Øyre Slind, Louise Lindström, and Hanna Lodin.
At the Climb checkpoint, 36.6km into the race, Stina Nilsson, Team Ragde Charge, showed her strength and crossed the Climb first, 40.9 seconds ahead of Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, and 1:00.4 ahead of Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon.
Over the kilometers, Stina increased the gap and never looked back. In the end, Stina Nilsson, Team Ragde Charge, showed her phenomenal performance in another Pro Tour event, crossed the finish line in first place, and won her third Pro Tour event in a row.
Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, finished second, 2:08.0 back, and Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, completed the podium in third place, 3:17.8 behind the winner.
Top 5 Women
- Stina Nilsson, Team Ragde Charge, 2:26:52.4
- Emilie Fleten, Team Ramudden, +2:08.0
- Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, +3:17.8
- Silje Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, +6:03.1
- Hanna Lodin, Team Engcon, +6:54.3
Complete results from Marcialonga Bodø can be found HERE
SKI CLASSICS COMPETITIONS – CURRENT STANDINGS
After Marcialonga Bodø, Anikken Gjerde Alnæs, Team Engcon, and Amund Hoel, Team Engcon, 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 Axel Jutterström, Team Eksjöhus, 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 Marcialonga Bodø Season XVI.
Next up is Reistadløpet on Saturday, March 29, and the Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja on Sunday, March 30. The events mark the 13th and 14th and final Ski Classics Pro Tour events of 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 – Valnesfjord, 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: Reichert/NordicFocus
