Andreas Nygaard, reigning Champion of Ski Classics, is unsure about starting at the Ski Classics prologue weekend in Bad Gastein, Austria.
“I got a virus a few days ago, so right now, I’m not sure how the weekend will be,” said Nygaard during the press conference in front of the weekend’s competitions.
Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge, has won the Ski Classics Yellow Champion bib three times, and this year he is also one of the biggest favorites again. Now, however, the 32-year-old long-distance skiing star is unsure about his chances:
“I have been lucky for many years and have been healthy at the right time,” says Nygaard and continues:
“You must be on the starting line in all races, as they all give you at least 200 points in the general classification. I will probably go for the biggest races after Christmas. If it goes well there, you are in the fight for the Yellow bib (overall win), but it will be difficult this year.
Last season, Nygaard came close to becoming the first Pro Tour skier to win a Grand Slam (winning all four Grand Classics events). He won Jizerská50, Vasaloppet, and Birkebeinerrennet but finished 4th at Marcialonga.
Read More: The Grand Classics Season XIV
With illness and some problems in the pre-season, Nygaard has now shifted his focus to what happens after Christmas.
HERE YOU CAN WATCH THE BAD GASTEIN PRESS CONFERENCE
The Season XIV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events on 10 event weekends in 6 different countries.
The season kicks off in Austria with the Bad Gastein Pro Team Tempo on Saturday, December 10, followed the next day by the Bad Gastein Criterium and ends in Northern Norway with the 67km Ski Classics Finale Summit 2 Senja, on April 2, 2023.
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, 40km
- Event 4: January 14, 2023 – Pustertaler Ski Marathon, Sexten, Italy, 62km
- Event 5: January 15, 2023 – Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, Niederdorf, Italy, 30km
- Event 6: January 21, 2023 – Engadin La Diagonela, Engadin Valley, Switzerland, 55km
- 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 info about the Ski Classics Pro Tour you can find at skiclassics.com.
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