Marcialonga marked the seventh Ski Classics Pro Tour event last weekend, and now the Ski Classics Season XIV is halfway through. ProXCskiing reviews the favorites for the various overall competitions, and today you can find out who the Pro Team favorites are.
The Pro Team competition is determined by the total amount of Pro Team points after the season. Pro Team points are distributed at each Pro Tour event based on the Pro Team’s collected Champion points from the Pro Team’s best two male athletes and best two female athletes, the total Sprint and Climb points collected by the athletes, and 50% of the Youth points of the best female athlete and best male athlete.
The Pro Team competition is highly fierce this season. Several teams can claim the title of the “Best Pro Team” in Ski Classics. However, there may be some chances in the top ranking after this season. Only time will tell!
After Marcialonga, Team Ramudden leads the Pro Team competition with 1180 points. Now, who are the favorites for the Pro Team competition Season XIV?
Pro Team Favorites – Ski Classics Season XIV – After Marcialonga
After Marcialonga, Team Ramudden leads the Pro Team Competition with 1180 points, followed by Lager 157 Ski Team with 1120 points.
Team Aker Dæhlie sits in third place overall with 1070 points after the seventh Pro Tour event, Season XIV.
The Pro Team competition is intense this winter. The top 3 Pro Teams in the ranking are the biggest favorites and are having a close fight overall.
Team Ramudden is adding more points to the Pro Team ranking, with 1180 points. During Season XIV, Team Ramudden had 160 points at the Pro Team Tempo; 180 at Bad Gastein Criterium; 140 at La Venosta Criterium; 180 at Pustertaler Ski Marathon; 200 at Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge; 180 at Engadin La Diagonela; and 140 points at Marcialonga.
Lager 157 Ski Team has 1120 points so far: 120 from the Pro Team Tempo; 200 from Bad Gastein Criterium; 160 from La Venosta Criterium; 160 from Pustertaler Ski Marathon; 180 from Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge; 140 from Engadin La Diagonela; and 160 points from Marcialonga.
And Team Aker Dæhlie got 1070 points: 180 from the Pro Team Tempo; 160 from Bad Gastein Criterium; 180 from La Venosta Criterium; 100 from Pustertaler Ski Marathon; 160 from Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge; 200 from Engadin La Diagonela; and 90 from Marcialonga.
The three Pro Teams will likely be on the top of the list at the end of Season XIV.
The current number one Pro Team, Team Ramudden, is doing strong, even after the transfers from Ida Dahl and Max Novak before the start of the season. The Pro Team have great skiers like Herman Paus, Amund Riege, Emilie Fleten, Alfred Buskqvist, Ida Palmberg, and Johannes Eklöf, who can get many crucial points in their respective categories.
Lager 157 Ski Team is the second-best Pro Team at the moment. They have the long-distance skiing star Emil Persson aboard, while Runar Skaug Mathisen, Marcus Johansson, Torleif Syrstad, Alvar Myhlback, and Nils Dahlsten support him the best they can. Persson is a strong candidate to win the Champion and Climb competitions and has won all the individual events this season.
The female Pro Team athlete Karolina Hedenström is top 8 in the Champion competition and leading the Youth bib overall. Linnea Johansson and Anja Stolpe are developing and getting some points for the Pro Team.
Team Aker Dæhlie is currently ranked as the third-best Pro Team with a powerful Pro Team who can challenge the two mentioned squads above. If every team member performs at their best, this team will crush the field during the final part of the season.
Max Novak and Stian Hoelgaard are steady podium skiers in the men’s competition, and the same goes for Astrid Øyre Slind on the women’s side. Then, Vebjørn Moen has a chance to take over the Sprint competition, thus getting many needed points. Additionally, Chris Andre Jespersen and Petter Stakston are solid skiers who can be in the top 10/20 and support their team.
Team Ragde Charge is currently ranked as the fourth-best Pro Team, and they crave to be back on top and will go for it with all guns blazing during the second part of Season XIV.
Their men’s roster is second to none as they have the reigning Champion Andreas Nygaard, podium skiers and stage winners Oskar Kardin, Kasper Stadaas, and Johan Hoel. Additionally, the eternally young Anders Aukland and the trusted support skier Joar Thele assist the Pro Team in any way they can.
There are no Youth skiers on the team, which will naturally hurt their chances in the fight for the number one Pro Team. But there are two strong women on the team. Jenny Larsson returned to action after a yearlong hiatus, and Anikken Gjerde Alnæs is improving performances, with both athletes bringing in great Champion and Sprint points.
These are the Pro Teams with the best chances of winning this category. Team Eksjöhus could be a dark horse, but winning is perhaps a step too much for them to take at this stage. The Pro Team have great skiers like Magni Smedås, Morten Eide Pedersen, and Axel Jutterström, who can get many needed points in their respective categories.
Many factors can affect a team’s performance throughout the season, and it is not easy to predict the outcome of this competition. But if an order needs to be established, it is as follows:
Pro Team Favorites – Ski Classics Season XIV
- Pro Team Points: 1180 points
- Likelihood to win: 4 out of 5
- Pro Team Points: 1120 points
- Likelihood to win: 4 out of 5
- Pro Team Points: 1070 points
- Likelihood to win: 3 out of 5
- Pro Team Points: 958 points
- Likelihood to win: 3 out of 5
- Pro Team Points: 940 points
- Likelihood to win: Dark horse
Pro Team – Top 10
The upcoming Ski Classics Pro Tour event is Jizerská50, a 50km classic technique event in the Czech Republic on February 12.
Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XIV (2022/2023)
- Event 1: December 10, 2022 – Bad Gastein PTT, Bad Gastein, Austria, 15km
- Event 2: December 11, 2022 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Bad Gastein, Austria, 35km
- Event 3: December 17, 2022 – La Venosta Criterium, Val Venosta, Italy, 36km
- Event 4: January 14, 2023 – Pustertaler Ski Marathon, Sexten, Italy, 62km
- Event 5: January 15, 2023 – Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, Niederdorf, Italy, 32km
- Event 6: January 21, 2023 – Engadin La Diagonela, Engadin Valley, Switzerland, 48km
- Event 7: January 29, 2023 – Marcialonga, Trentino, Italy, 70km
- Event 8: February 12, 2023 – Jizerská50, Bedrichov, Czech Republic, 50km
- Event 9: February 18, 2023 – Grönklitt Criterium, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
- Event 10: February 19, 2023 – Grönklitt ITT, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 15km
- Event 11: March 5, 2023 – Vasaloppet, Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
- Event 12: March 18, 2023 – Birkebeinerrennet, Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
- Event 13: April 1, 2023 – Reistadløpet, Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 40km
- Event 14: April 2, 2023 – Summit 2 Senja, Bardufoss- Finnsnes, Norway, 67km
More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour you can find at skiclassics.com.
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