This Norwegian Pro Team comprises eight upcoming and promising skiers who aim to showcase their team’s colors this winter. Team Sjusjoen Langlop, formerly known as Team Naeringsbanken Stora Enso, secured 11th place in the Pro Team Competition during Season XVI and now aims even higher for the upcoming winter.
Based in the Sjusjoen and Lillehammer region, the team benefits from ideal year-round training conditions. Over the past seven years, Team Sjusjoen Langlop has consistently ranked around the top 10 in Ski Classics.
For Season XVII, the Pro Team counts on strong local power, with seven Norwegian athletes and one French skier – three women and five men in total: Karen Amalie Nordseth (2000), Marie Renee Sorum Gangso (1994), Hanna Sandholt Hansen (2001), Bastien Laurent (2002), Henrik Arntzen Joks (1999), Henning Lie (1990), Jonas Bergli (1997), and Anders Grini (2003).
“Team Sjusjoen Langlop is located near Lillehammer and Sjusjoen and has been nearly top 10 in Ski Classics for the last 7 years,” says Pro Team Director Arnt Nyborg.
Looking ahead to the new season, Nyborg adds:
"Jonas Bergli, Marie Renee Gangso, Henning Lie, and Hanna Sandholt Hansen are looking strong, and Henrik Joks was also in very good condition this summer.”
A springboard to bigger teams
Team Sjusjoen Langlop is one of the longest-running Pro Teams in Ski Classics. Since its founding in 2015, it has evolved into a genuine talent factory in the world of long-distance skiing.
Both former and current athletes speak highly of the Lillehammer-based squad, praising its environment and the solid foundation it provides for development. For Pro Team Director Arnt Nyborg, the well-being and growth of athletes are just as important as the results.
"As a coach and Pro Team Director, it's just as important for me to have young athletes who thrive and develop in a good environment as it is to sign the biggest stars," Nyborg previously told ProXCskiing.com.
For Season XVII, the Norwegian Pro Team brought in another promising talent, Bastien Laurent from Meribel, France. Despite his young age, Laurent has already completed three Ski Classics seasons, having previously raced for Team Nordic Experience.
So far, his best Ski Classics Pro Tour result is 48th place, but he aims higher this winter.
"My goal for the season remains the same: to get as close to the lead groups as possible. But I hope I can crack the top 30 at least once this coming winter, if everything goes well," Laurent said in a previous interview with ProXCskiing.com.
