By Johan Trygg
Lager 157 Ski Team exchanges one Norwegian for another. When Øyvind Moen Fjeld decided to put the skis on the shelf, Anton Järnberg, Pro Team Director in Lager 157 Ski Team, called Runar Skaug Mathisen.
"I immediately felt that this was interesting. Just look at the top list in Visma Ski Classics. Sweden has the best athletes now," says 28-year-old Skaug Mathisen.
The tall and large Norwegian Skaug Mathisen, 193 centimeters and 93 kilos, is easy to see in the peloton for both teammates and opponents. After his best season in the Pro Tour, Skaug Mathisen now changes Team Parkettpartner Sjusjøen's orange race suit to Lager 157 Ski Team's black.
In Season XI Skaug Mathisen finished eight at Marcialonga. His career's best result in the Pro Tour. He was also 13th at Vasaloppet and can look back on his best season. Now he wants to take the next step - in a Swedish team.
When Lager 157 Ski Team lost three male athletes who quit (Anton Karlsson, Andreas Holmberg, and Øyvind Moen Fjeld), the Pro Team manager Anton Järnberg had to search for new athletes.
"Anton contacted me on Facebook first, then we talked, and I immediately felt that it was interesting. I have a good season behind me, but I want to achieve more," says Skaug Mathisen.
What will be your role in the team?
"We have not talked much about that yet, but it feels like I will get kind of a free role. But, of course, we are a team, and Emil Persson is the best. So I will do a job for him, but I also hope for top placements for myself in individual races."
Last week, Runar was at his first camp with his new team. In the first days, he felt that there is a slight difference in the training sessions in his new team compared to what he is used to.
Skaug Mathisen on one of the first training sessions with his new Pro Team. Photo: Lager 157 Ski Team.
"The pace was faster on the "easy" sessions, it's a bit unusual, but it's just to learn. It was also my first roller ski sessions of the year. Until this camp, I had only trained on snow at home in Lillehammer.
Runar with his new teammates, Eddie Edström, Emil Persson, and Marcus Johansson. Photo: Lager 157 Ski Team.
Øyvind Moen Fjeld became the third male skier in Lager 157 Ski Team to put his skis on the shelf. Moen Fjeld finished Season XI and his career nicely with fourth place at Årefjällsloppet. His best placement in the Lager 157 race suit. The 32-year-old took a podium place and several top six places in the Visma Ski Classics Pro Tour during his career. The podium came when he finished third at Ylläs-Levi 2019, the last race he did for Team Ragde Eiendom before moving to "Lager." If you understand Swedish/Norwegian, you can listen to Moen Fjeld when he talks about his career in an episode of Lager 157 Ski Team's podcast Vasapodden.
