Ski Classics ends Season XIV in another back-to-back Pro Tour events weekend, with Reistadløpet on Saturday, April 1, and the brand-new Ski Classics Finale Summit 2 Senja on Sunday, April 2.
On Saturday, April 1, the Ski Classics weekend finale starts with Reistadløpet, the season’s 13th event and one of the most demanding courses in the circuit.
The 40-kilometer long-distance race starts in Setermoen, in the municipality of Bardu in Norway, and goes through arctic landscapes and mountain tops before reaching the finish line in Bardufoss in the municipality of Målselv.
So far, no one has won the race by only double poling, as most skiers use diagonal striding. The course has challenging climbs up to the mountains, but the scenery is breathtaking.
Reistadløpet has a long history going all the way back to 1958. The event commemorates a local ski legend Colonel Ole Reistad, a Norwegian champion in the pentathlon in 1922 and the ski patrol leader that won Olympic gold in St. Moritz in 1928.
REISTADLØPET – Ski Classics Pro Tour – Event 13
- Date: April 1, 2023
- Distance: 40km Classic Technique
- Place: Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway
- Start Time: Women 10:00 CET / Men 10:30 CET
- Number of SC Sprints: 1
- Sprint 1: 5km – Storlømyra
- Number of SC Climbs: 1
- Climb 1: 14km – Orta (Iconic Climb)
- Total Ascent: 983m
Course Map & Profile
On Sunday, April 2, the brand-new Ski Classics Finale Summit 2 Senja is the 14th and final event of Season XIV, where all the Pro Team athletes and their Pro Team will be present to celebrate the end of the season.
The 68-kilometer race starts in Bardufoss and ends in Finnsnes, passing through fantastic landscapes. Summit 2 Senja is a race from the mountains to the fjords involving two more municipalities, Sørreisa and Senja.
The Ski Classics Finale Summit 2 Senja originates in Reistadløpet’s motto: “Develop skiing in the region.” This is a collaborative project to establish a unique infrastructure for skiing and public health, with a main network of 100km of ski trails between Finnsnes and Setermoen.
SUMMIT 2 SENJA – Ski Classics Pro Tour – Event 14
- Date: April 2, 2023
- Distance: 68km Classic Technique
- Place: Bardufoss-Finnsnes, Norway
- Start Time: Women 9:05 CET / Men 9:00 CET
- Number of SC Sprints: 1
- Sprint 1: 13km – Lombnesmyra
- Number of SC Climbs: 1
- Climb 1: 63km – Magdaskaret
- Total Ascent: 1531m
Course Map & Profile
Reistadløpet and Ski Classics Finale Summit 2 Senja will be the most important ingredients in the Reistadløpet Ski Festival, where several other events will be available for the public.
Reistadløpet is open to Pro Tour athletes and recreational skiers, while the Ski Classics Finale Summit 2 Senja race will be an elite race only. Reistadløpet looks forward to further developing the concept and putting unique contributions to public health, business, and living in Ole Reistad’s spirit.
In the pre-events interviews ahead of Reistadløpet and Summit 2 Senja, broadcast on SC YouTube earlier today, Anton Karlsson, Sports Director of Ski Classics, has some good feelings and expectations about the season and upcoming weekend:
“It’s been a long season, but it went by very fast. I think we had our best season yet, and we are ending with a super finale, especially with the new event down to Finnsnes,” says Karlsson and continues about the weather, tracks, and courses:
“In terms of conditions, there are super conditions at the moment, but we are expecting some snowfall, but on Saturday and Sunday, there will be good conditions again. Of course, being up North, we have a lot of snow and good racing temperatures, so everything looks good.”
For Season XIV, Reistadløpet has some course changes:
“Regarding the race course, starting with Reistadløpet, the track has changed slightly since last year, meaning we removed the second climb point. So now, we have the sprint and then the last Iconic Climb of the season up to Orta, one of the hardest climbs during all season. Then it’s mostly up and down to Bardufoss,” says Anton and continues about Summit 2 Senja:
“Quite easy/moderate start, up to Lombnesmyra, where we will have the final sprint of the season and then the final climb of the season, Magdaskaret before we head down to the finish in Finnsnes,” and elaborates about the finish:
“We are actually finishing at the bay of Finnsnes. So, you are going straight into the water after the season.”
The conditions will determine if a diagonal striding or double poling skier will win this year’s Reistadløpet:
“Since we are expecting a lot of fresh snow, the conditions will be quite slow; that suits the ones with kick-wax a little bit better. But we have the wind, and the tracks will be filled with snow, then double poling skier will also have a chance.”
On Sunday at the Summit 2 Senja, the downhill to the finish line can be decisive:
“It is one of those downhills where you can gain some time if you are good at them. Lots of ups and downs and turns, but then the last kilometer or so is flat again when you enter Finnsnes.”
Watch The Full Pre-Events Interviews Here With Some Of The Favorites For The Weekend: Reistadløpet and Summit 2 Senja Pre-Events Interviews Live On SC YouTube
Ski Classics Pro Tour XIV – Events 13 and 14: Pre-Events Interviews
For Reistadløpet and the Ski Classics Finale Summit 2 Senja events, expect no less than a spectacular finish for the Ski Classics Season XIV.
The Season XIV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events on 10 event weekends in 6 different countries.
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, 36km
- Event 4: January 14, 2023 – Pustertaler Ski Marathon, Sexten, Italy, 62km
- Event 5: January 15, 2023 – Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, Niederdorf, Italy, 32km
- Event 6: January 21, 2023 – Engadin La Diagonela, Engadin Valley, Switzerland, 48km
- 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, 12km
- 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, 68km
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