By Johan Trygg
Emil Persson took his third victory in Visma Ski Classics when he won Marcialonga on Sunday.
Winning the first of the four Grand Classics events is, of course, the highlight of his career so far.
“It’s huge! I felt it a lot after the race with everyone who celebrates me,” says the 25-year-old Swede.
During Season X, Emil Persson was an upstart in Visma Ski Classics with his victories in the prologue in Livigno and at Kaiser Maximilian Lauf in Seefeld. To now win Marcialonga, as the first Swedish male winner since Jerry Ahrlin won in 2011, is, of course, something even more significant.
We had a chat with Emil when he was on his way home to Sweden after the triumph in Italy.
Now it is you and Lina Korsgren who have the chance of a Grand Slam. How are your thoughts there?
“I get to take one race at a time. It’s fun with Grand Classics. The interest has been vast with all the attention around it from the media,” says Emil.
How did you experience the beginning of the race?
“It was quite a lot of fuss the first kilometers, as it is in all races. After a while, you realize that it costs too much and relax a little. Then it was a bit stressful towards the sprint in Canazei before it calmed down again. Then it went kind of easy down towards Moena.”
“Then there was a bit of action before the sprint in Predazzo as well. I wanted to take some sprint points but not go all in.”
Several skiers had incidents during the race. For example, Morten Eide Pedersen, Team Nordic Athlete, and Max Novak, Team Ramudden, both fell and lost one of their skis. Pedersen also broke a pole. Emil, however, avoided accidents all the way.
At Marcialonga, it’s crucial to have a position far up in the leading group when you get to Molina and the bridge passage with six kilometers to go.
“Yes, if you are around 20th there, it will be many seconds up to the front when passed the bridge, Persson says.
It is even more important to be in front of the group when crossing the narrow bridge and tunnel before the Cascata climb up to the finish in Cavalese begins. With around 300 meters left to the bridge, Persson went out in the left track and advanced up to third place before the bridge passage, behind Petter Eliassen, Team Ragde Eiendom and Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Team XPND Fuel of Norway, and with Oskar Kardin, Team Ragde Eiendom, right behind him.
“Eliassen pushed hard in the first serpentines, and it was a little bit tough to follow. When the track got a little straighter, I could find a good flow and follow quite easily. It felt good when we were four, and I noticed that Oskar (Kardin) started to toil behind. I know I have a better punch at the end than Gjerdalen and Eliassen.
What did you think when Vokuev suddenly appeared with 500 meters left?
“I was a bit shocked! Järnberg (team director Anton) had shouted that it was about the four of us. But I was on my toes and just followed his back. He became quite stiff when he herringboned, and I could easily double pole behind.
However, in the last 200 meters, it was about Gjerdalen and Persson, and then Emil felt that he had the upper hand with his strong finish.
“I gave what I had and went in front of Tord and got a meter on him. Then I felt I would win the race.
What did Gjerdalen say to you after the finish?
“He complimented me and said that he got out what he had for the day.”
What does it mean to have won such a big event like Marcialonga?
“It’s huge! I felt it a lot after the race with everyone who celebrates me, says Persson.
Did your skis work well the whole race?
“I felt early on that the skis worked fine in the fresh snow. I also knew from our tests that they would work well at the end of the race.”
Together with team manager Anton Järnberg, Emil has now put a plan for the coming weeks ahead of Jizerska 50 on 14 February.
“At first, I will let this sink in and then gather energy for the rest of the season,” Persson says.
