By Teemu Virtanen

Most of our Pro Teams and their athletes are taking this weekend off and getting ready for La Venosta that takes place next Saturday in Italy. The World Cup tour continued today in the Birkebeinerrennet host city Lillehammer, and Andrew Musgrave from the UK performed well and showed some promising signs of things to come.

In the men's 30 km skiathlon race Musgrave was 18th, and he was 3.02 min behind the winner Alexander Bolshunov from Russia. Musgrave will race at least four Visma Ski Classics Pro Tour events in Season X; Marcialonga, Vasaloppet, Reistadløpet and Ylläs-Levi.

Masako Ishida from Japan, who has represented Team Koteng in the past and won Reistadløpet in 2018 and was second last year, was 17th and 3.22 min behind the winner Theresa Johaug, Norway, in the 15 km skiathlon race, but she had only about 2 minutes to the podium as Johaug was in a league of her own. Ishida is still somewhat uncertain about her chances to do Visma Ski Classics events, but she wants to participate in the Pro Tour in the spring if her schedule allows that.