We are approaching the start of season XI. There is less than a month left until the season kicks off with the Pro Team Tempo in Engadin valley.
Now you can update yourself on how the athletes have moved between Pro Teams and which new interesting skiers there is to follow during season XI.
TEAM RAGDE EIENDOM has recruited Marit Bjørgen, with eight gold medals from the Olympics and eighteen gold medals from the World Championships. It is uncertain how many races other than Vasaloppet she will do. Thea Krokan Murud and Emelie Fleten, have both left the Pro Team. Instead, they have signed Anikken Gjerde Alnes. On the rooster from Team Ragde Eiendom we also find Therese Johaug, who might participate in a few events at the end of the season.
Anikken Gjerde Alnes and Marit Bjørgen strengthen Team Ragde Eiendom.
LAGER 157 SKI TEAM has been brave enough to sign Karolina Hedenström, 20 years old. She has only been skiing for a couple of years and by the time she got recruited, she was the youngest Pro Team athlete in Visma Ski Classics’ history.
TEAM KOTENG has lost the Champion bib runner up Kari Vikhagen Gjeitnes, who has retired. Last year’s male Marcialonga winner Tore Bjørseth Berdal has also retired, but he will continue as the Pro Team Director. Emilie Fleten is an exciting new recruit on Team Koteng.
TEAM RAMUDDEN continues to look for young talents when they scout for new Pro Team members. Now they have found Herman Paus, the best junior at Vasaloppet. They have also recruited the coach Mattias Reck, who usually works with Pro Teams in cycling.
ED SYSTEM BAUER TEAM now has the Vasaloppet runner up in 2018 on their team, after signing Bob Impola in September. That is certainly needed since they have lost the strong quartet Roxane Lacroix, Ilya Chernosuv, Alexis Jeannerod and Jan Srail. Pro Team Director Lukas Bauer is busy as a coach for the Polish national team and will only attend one Visma Ski Classics event.
During season XI we get to see the Swede Bob Impola in the Czech Pro Team, Ed System Bauer Team.
TEAM KAFFEBRYGGERIET finally has a notable female Pro Athlete, since Thea Krokan Murud has joined the “coffee boys.”
VLTAVA FUND SKI TEAM is remaking the squad. Heli Heiskanen and Ari Luusua are out and replaced by Jan Srail and Maria Gräfnings, who is back from maternity leave.
Maria Gräfnings makes a comeback in season XI, in the Czech Pro Team Vltava Fund Ski Team.
TEAM SERNEKE has chosen to discontinue their Pro Team. Magdalena Pajala and Jimmie Johnsson retire, whereas the other skiers have found new constellations.
TEAM PARKETTPARTNER SJUSJØEN has recruited Julia Angelsiöö, Sivert Bergan and Kristine Fjeld. Once again, they enter the season with a full team of ten members.
SILVINI MADSHUS TEAM now has the experienced skier Martin Jaks on their rooster.
TEAM DÉCATHLON EXPÉRIENCE is a French Pro Team born from the fusion between E-Liberty Ski Team and Crédit Agricole Franche-Comté. Here we find merited names such as Roxane Lacroix, Alexis Jeannerod and Bastien Poirrer.
Alexis Jeannerod is one of the athletes in the new French Pro Team, Team Décathlon Expérience.
TEAM FÉCLAZ FORMATION LONGUE DISTANCE (FFLD) is the training center of Décathlon Experience. The goal for this new Pro Team will be to discover, learn and grow on the Challengers circuit and on the Pro Tour.
TEAM XPND FUEL OF NORWAY is the new team for Tord Asle Gjerdalen. The two-time winner of the yellow bib has started up a team where he will be the owner and the Pro Team Director. Gjerdalen has also merged it into previously Team XPND. They already have athletes such as Ingeborg Dahl and Kristoffer Nielsen.
TEAM ROBINSON TRENTINO has recruited the young and promising Frenchman, Matis Leray.
SLAVIA POJISTOVNA SPORT TEAM will probably improve their ranking since they have signed Heli Heiskanen.
ENDLESS LOCAL NORDIC TEAM is the new name of Team Nordic People. The squad is the same except from the addition of Patrick Ottilinger.
SKIMARATHON TEAM AUSTRIA has stepped up by adding the Australian Philip Bellingham on the Pro Team.
LYN SKI MOSETERÅSEN who was the second last Pro Team in the standings last winter, have recruited the podium skier Anders Mølmen Høst.
TEAM NORDIC ATHLETE is a new Pro Team that stems from Team Mäenpää. Except from the Finns Viktor Mäenpää, Hans Mäenpää, Hannes Mäenpää and Niko Koskela, they have recruited Morten Eide Pedersen, Linn Sömskar and Hedda Bångman.
TEAM NORDIC JOBS WORLD WIDE is the first Baltic Pro Team in the history of Visma Ski Classics. Martin Kevin Põlluste, previously Team Synnfjell, will act both as Pro Team Director and skier.
Martin Kevin Põlluste is both Pro Team Director and athlete in the first Estonian Pro team, Team Nordic Jobs World Wide.
TEAM FUTURA TRENTINO ALTA QUOTA will have a strong Russian part of their Pro Team, materialised by Alexander Legkov and Evgeniy Dementiev.
TEAM ELECTOFIT from Finland is a new Pro Team that is made up of both clients and coaches. They are not looking to be a top team yet.
TEAM ES ENDURANCE is another new Pro Team from Finland, including motivated Swedish skiers.
