Visma Ski Classics Season X came to an end a couple of weeks ago when the three remaining events from the game were cancelled as the result of the global pandemic. The tour came to consist of 9 instead of 12 events battling for the prestigious event of the year award. The award is decided after a vote by the Visma Ski Classics Pro Team athletes and staff. Since they participate at a lot of events each year and can compare events to each other, their voices are important to develop the sport into the future. This season X title was won by Czech Republic’s Jizerská 50!
Each event comes with its own specialties and characteristics, and no location is the same. Naturally, when it comes to winter sports, weather conditions play a crucial part in creating the perfect atmosphere around any event. When the sun shines, the temperature is moderate and the gentle breeze welcomes event participants, organizers can take a breather and relax a bit. But when there is no snow in the vicinity of the race location and warm weather lingers on, people get anxious and stressed out.
Jizerska Padesatka, the biggest cross-country ski event in the Czech Republic, experienced these two sides of the same coin. First, there was no snow at all and then suddenly it started to come a lot, a few days before the race. On the race day, the sun was shining when the record number of participants took off to their 50 km journey in the Jizera mountains.
Our Pro Team athletes have certainly remembered the event in the most positive way since they voted it as the “Best event of season X”. It beat the previous title winner Marcialonga who caught the 2nd place and Toblach-Cortina was third in this ballot.
The Event Director, David Douza, sounds utterly flabbergasted when he hears the news over the phone.
“I’m speechless,” Douza says proudly. “It is truly an honor to get this recognition. Perhaps, because of the short season and three races missing, we had a better chance to be voted number one this year.”
When he recalls all the ordeals they had to face before the race, Douza takes a deep breath and admits that this year was extremely stressful.
“It was hard because it looked like we won’t have the race. But then Mother Nature smiled upon us, and we got lucky. We are so thankful for the perfect sunny weather we had on Sunday, which was the best since 2013. Additionally, it was great to have these kind of conditions because we had the 50th anniversary of the unfortunate Peru expedition where 15 local mountaineers perished in a rock avalanche.”
Douza is fast to point out that the success of the event comes from the strong team working together with their unfaltering dedication to the common cause.
“We all have the same great drive and passion to develop and improve our event. But I also want to thank our participants who really bring along the atmosphere and make this race unique. We are so happy to be part of Visma Ski Classics as it has certainly strengthened our brand, and this award is a great proof that we are doing things right.”
As far as the future goes, Douza is now concerned about their summer events as they have been postponed to the early months of fall due to the current situation in the world. He hopes that we will conquer this threat that has stopped the wheels from turning and that the next winter season can take place in a healthy environment with lots of snow everywhere.
Stay tuned for the season highlight of Visma Ski Classics X which shortly is available! The calendar release for season XI takes place May 1st.
