The Norwegian Pro Team, Team XPND Fuel of Norway, consists of six Pro athletes for season XI.
"Our ambition is to fight for victories in individual races. Equally important for us, however, is to inspire more people to participate in long distance skiing events," says Pro Team Director and Pro Team athlete Tord Asle Gjerdalen.
After several years in Team Ragde Eiendom, Tord Asle Gjerdalen recently launched his new team – Team XPND Fuel of Norway. In addition to competing for top places on the Pro Tour, the ambition with the new team is to inspire more people to train for and attend long distance races.
"We want to motivate more girls to participate in Birken and other long distance skiing events. We want them to feel the joy with cross country skiing. That is our vision", says Gjerdalen.
As for individual goals for the athletes in the Pro Team, Tord does not want to specify them. Tord himself will off course fight for more victories. He is part of the Visma Ski Classics Hall of Fame with his ten victories. Will he take his eleventh or more during season XI in his new role as both Pro Team Director and Pro Team athlete?
Tord says that he sees Ingeborg Dahl as a top ten skier in each event and that Thomas Odegaarden is a young skier with a promising future ahead of him. Kristoffer Nielsen has unfortunately been disturbed by illness during the pre-season.
The former top world cup cross country athletes Astrid Uhrenholdt Jacobsen and Eirik Brandsdal is also part of the Pro Team. In the races they will attend, it will of course be interesting to see them in action.
Athletes:
INGEBORG DAHL
born on 23/10/1987
SC ranking: 118
Skis: -. Boots: -. Poles: -. Height: 175. Weight: 70.
ASTRID URENHOLDT JACOBSEN
born on 22/01/1987
SC ranking: –
Skis: ROSSIGNOL. Boots: ROSSIGNOL. Poles: LEKI. Height: 174. Weight: 69.
TORD ASLE GJERDALEN
born on 03/08/1983
SC ranking: 4
Skis: FISCHER. Boots: FISCHER. Poles: SWIX. Height: 182. Weight: 74.
KRISTOFFER NIELSEN
born on 26/08/1988
SC ranking: 57
Skis: -. Boots: -. Poles: -. Height: 183. Weight: 72.
THOMAS ODEGAARDEN
born on 14/12/1998
SC ranking: 132
Skis: -. Boots: -. Poles: -. Height: 172. Weight: 67.
EIRIK BRANDSDAL
born on 11/11/1986
SC ranking: –
Skis: FISCHER. Boots: ALPINA. Poles: SWIX. Height: 181. Weight: 78.
Pro Team Director:
TORD ASLE GJERDALEN
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