Today Martin Johnsrud Sundby launches his new Pro Team.
With him out on the Pro Tour in Season XII, he will have Niklas Dyrhaug, Chris Jespersen, Torleif Syrstad and Astrid Øyre Slind - under the new team name Team Koteng Eidissen.
“We look forward to challenging the Swedish Pro Teams this winter. It will be an exciting and interesting winter when both NRK and SVT broadcast the entire Pro Tour,” says Sundby.
When Martin Johnsrud Sundby this spring announced that his World Cup career was over and his new focus would now be Visma Ski Classis Pro Tour, he said like this:
“The goal is to put a strong team with professional backing on its feet and attend the entire Pro Tour. I’m used to going all in, and now I’m doing it again.”
Now it is clear that the team will be a merger of the private team that Sundby had with Niklas Dyrhaug, Team Eidissen/BN Bank and former Team Koteng. The new name will be Team Koteng Eidissen.
Niklas Dyrhaug does as Sundby and steers towards long distance and the rest of the team consists of the following athletes from Team Koteng: Chris Jespersen, Torleif Syrstad and Astrid Øyre Slind.
“We invest hard and the goal is to create an international team. In Season XII, it will be with these Norwegian athletes but it’s a long-term project and skiers from other countries will be relevant for the team in the future,” says Sundby.
“In Season XII we will be four male and two or three female athletes. I have a couple of names on the women’s side that I don’t want to reveal yet. It’s athletes with the goal of reaching the Olympics, but it’s eye-popping to get into the Norwegian team and we will see who they will be when the season begins.”
The support team follows from Team Koteng with Tore Björseth Berdal as Pro Team Director and Bernhard Rønning as service manager. In addition, Sundby’s brother Sondre will be responsible for the physical training.
“I am really looking forward to this venture and it will be fun to challenge the Swedish teams this winter. The fact that both NRK and SVT broadcast the entire Pro Tour means that interest will be at its peak.”
