Next Saturday, January 21, it’s time for the sixth event of Ski Classics Season XIV, Engadin La Diagonela. The Swiss event is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2023. How it all started?
The 48-kilometer Ski Classics Pro Tour race is the sixth event of Season XIV, takes place in the spectacular Engadin Valley, and is the largest cross-country ski race in classic technique in Switzerland.
Engadin La Diagonela has been an important part of the Ski Classics Pro Tour since its inception in Season IV. According to the organizers, the event has three main attractions: stunning scenery, high altitude, above 1.800 meters above sea level, and a unique atmosphere.
In the pre-event interviews broadcasted live on SC YouTube earlier today, Ramun Ratti, President of Engadin La Diagonela, and David Nilsson, CEO of Ski Classics, are optimistic about the Pro Tour event this coming weekend.
“For us, it’s amazing to come to Engadin Valley. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful places in the winter world. It’s stunning outside, and you can be anything but lucky and happy,” says Nilsson.
“We are very much looking forward to the 10th Anniversary of Engadin La Diagonela. We are ready; at the moment, the sun is shining, and the course is ready. Unfortunately, we had to make small changes to the course because of the snow conditions. Still, the rest of the tracks are in perfect condition, and we can offer the athletes the best possible infrastructure to have a perfect race. We had to shorten the course for about 5km for Saturday’s race,” says Ramun Ratti during the pre-event interview.
The cooperation between Ski Classics and Engadin La Diagonela has an interesting start:
“From our side, at Ski Classics, coming to the Engadin Valley is a privilege, and I remember when we started on the first time. It’s the 10th anniversary for La Diagonela, and the first year, Ramun, as a President, called me in December and asked how they could become part of Ski Classics. The idea was to plan over three years and find a way to build a new race,” and the Ski Classics CEO continues:
“Unfortunately, that year was a bad winter (with difficult snow conditions), and Jizerská was impossible to organize because it was green. So, one week before, I called Ramun and asked if it was possible to create a race in one week instead of three years, and the final short conclusion was, yes, it was possible. And that was the start of Diagonela. Since then, we don’t wanna leave!”
Ramun Ratti recalls that moment:
“That was a very special moment when David called. We took over the project, and I think we never regret taking it over. And since then, we made a lot of experiences and had a lot of great adventures. We are very proud to have reached ten years and very honored with the collaboration with Ski Classics,” concludes the President of Engadin La Diagonela.
Watch The Full Pre-Event Interviews Here: Engadin La Diagonela Pre-Event Interviews Live on SC YouTube
Engadin Valley – An Impressive Place To Be
More than 220 kilometers of groomed tracks are in the area, making the valley a perfect place to spend some time before or after the event. Several glaciers in the valley also offer a striking display of nature.
The Engadin Valley is famous for its grand scenery, sunny days, and beautiful towns that give the area its distinctive look and feel. Engadin truly stands for captivating experiences where the past is as alive as the present, and Swiss nature is simply stunning.
ENGADIN LA DIAGONELA – Ski Classics Pro Tour – Event 6
- Date: January 21, 2023
- Distance: 48km Classic Technique
- Place: Pontresina-Zuoz, Switzerland
- Start Time: Women 9:00 CET / Men 8:55 CET
- Number of SC Sprints: 2
- Sprint 1: Samedan 5km
- Sprint 2: Lej da Gravatscha 25km
Course Map & Profile
The Season XIV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events on 10 event weekends in 6 different countries.
Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XIV (2022/2023)
- Event 1: December 10, 2022 – Bad Gastein PTT, Bad Gastein, Austria, 15km
- Event 2: December 11, 2022 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Bad Gastein, Austria, 35km
- Event 3: December 17, 2022 – La Venosta Criterium, Val Venosta, Italy, 36km
- Event 4: January 14, 2023 – Pustertaler Ski Marathon, Sexten, Italy, 62km
- Event 5: January 15, 2023 – Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, Niederdorf, Italy, 32km
- Event 6: January 21, 2023 – Engadin La Diagonela, Engadin Valley, Switzerland, 48km
- Event 7: January 29, 2023 – Marcialonga, Trentino, Italy, 70km
- Event 8: February 12, 2023 – Jizerská50, Bedrichov, Czech Republic, 50km
- Event 9: February 18, 2023 – Grönklitt Criterium, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
- Event 10: February 19, 2023 – Grönklitt ITT, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 15km
- Event 11: March 5, 2023 – Vasaloppet, Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
- Event 12: March 18, 2023 – Birkebeinerrennet, Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
- Event 13: April 1, 2023 – Reistadløpet, Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 40km
- Event 14: April 2, 2023 – Summit 2 Senja, Bardufoss- Finnsnes, Norway, 67km
More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour you can find at skiclassics.com.
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