With the Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVII calendar released, the NTNUI Ski Team shares its thoughts on the upcoming season, reflects on recent achievements, and outlines its goals under new leadership.
After achieving its best overall ranking to date in Season XVI, NTNUI Ski Team, based in Trondheim, Norway, looks to continue its momentum. Now, under the direction of newly appointed Pro Team Director Aud Øyen Halås, the Pro Team is embracing a fresh chapter with optimism and ambition.
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A Favorable Calendar for Student-Athletes
The Pro Team is pleased with the layout of the new Ski Classics Pro Tour calendar Season XVII, especially the later start to the racing season.
“We have a positive first impression of the calendar. It’s exciting to see some new additions to the schedule,” says Pro Team Director Aud Øyen Halås to Ski Classics and ProXCskiing.com, and adds:
“We’re also pleased with the later start of the races in January, as December is typically a busy month for us with university exams – this gives us more time to prepare and get quality training in before the races in January.”
New Formats Align Well with NTNUI’s Strengths
The addition of the Bedřichov Sprint and 50k ITTs has sparked enthusiasm within the Pro Team.
“In our student city of Trondheim, we have a tradition of organizing a long-distance race in an individual time trial format – 50km for men and 25km for women through very challenging terrain. This experience could prepare us well for the 50k ITT,” Halås explains.
The Pro Team also has sprinters ready to take on the new format:
“We have some strong sprinters on our team who we believe can perform well in Bedřichov.”
Season XVI: Progress Built on Passion and Perseverance
Despite not having standout individual results, Season XVI was a milestone for the NTNUI Ski Team.
“While I wasn’t the Pro Team Director last season, I believe I can speak on behalf of both myself and the previous director, Lauritz, in saying that we are very proud of what the team has achieved,” Halås says.
“We’ve had a series of solid performances throughout the season, leading to our best overall ranking to date.”
Even more impressively, the Pro Team operated without a main sponsor and remained entirely volunteer-run.
“As a new Pro Team Director, I’m especially proud of how we’ve managed to keep the team running entirely on a volunteer basis and do everything as economically as possible.”
Goals and Team Environment for the New Season
For Season XVII, maintaining last year’s performance level is a top priority, but so is continuing to build a supportive and unified team culture.
“This past season exceeded all expectations, and our main goal is to maintain that level of performance. If we gather a strong and motivated group again, we believe this is well within reach,” says Halås.
“Equally important is creating a strong team spirit. Since we all live in the same city, we can train together regularly, push each other, and stay motivated throughout the season. Creating a strong team spirit is key – not just for performance on race day but also for all the time we spend together while traveling, which can be both rewarding and demanding.”
Team Changes and Future Recruitment
Looking ahead, NTNUI Ski Team expects changes in the roster as several athletes have recently graduated from NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology).
“There will be quite a bit of turnover in the team. We aim to give new students the opportunity to join the NTNUI Ski Team, so our selection process will not take place until after the start of the academic year.”
With a new Pro Team Director, renewed goals, and an established culture of collaboration and dedication, the NTNUI Ski Team is ready to take on the Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVII.
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Author: Leandro Lutz
Photo: Vanzetta/NordicFocu
