By Teemu Virtanen
As Visma Ski Classics is getting ready to announce its calendar for the Season X next week, many pro teams are finalizing their team rosters and there are many changes taking place.
The former pro team champion Team Ragde Eiendom wants to take back the crown again and be the number one team come the year 2020. The Aukland brothers have now made public the members of their squad, and the biggest surprise comes in the form of their female skiers. No Kari Vikhagen Gjeitnes or Sofie Elebro! Instead there are two completely new faces gracing the team and entering the long distance arena; Emilie Fleten and Thea Krokan Murud.
Emilie Fleten is a 26-year old skier from Norway who managed to be in the top 20 in the Norwegian Nationals and 4th in a Scandinavian Cup in Vuokatti Finland last season. Thea Krokan Murud is a 24-year old Norwegian skier who finished 7th in Birkebeinerrennet this winter. In 2018, she won a Scandinavian Cup race in Norway and participated in a World Cup race in Slovenia. They are both young rising stars of the sport, and it will be interesting to see what they are capable of achieving next season.
We earlier reported about Petter Eliassen joining the ranks and Øyvind Moen Fjeld’s move to Lager 157 Ski Team, but the rest of the gang in terms of their male athletes remains the same; Andreas Nygaard, Anders Aukland, Oskar Kardin, Joar Thele and Tor Asle Gjerdalen.
