By Teemu Virtanen
After a three-week break, the Visma Ski Classics Pro Tour moves to Scandinavia, and the legendary Vasaloppet is next in line. Tomorrow, the 90 km event from Sälen to Mora in Sweden takes place with almost 16,000 participants. The race, both the men and women, start at 8:00 am CET.
The weather forecast predicts a heavy snowfall again much like last year, and all of our Pro Team Athletes are expecting to see a slow-paced tactical race. However, the tactical maneuver that Team Koteng came up with at the end of the race in the 2019 edition is not expected as everyone is now more alert. That move secured a triple victory for the Pro Team.
“I don’t think we’ll be able to repeat the same tactic we had last year as back then we were able to surprise everyone,” the 2019 winner Tore Bjørseth Berdal says about his team’s chances tomorrow. “There will be some tactical play in the field since the conditions will be very similar to last year, and there will be a huge group of skiers together for a long time. I feel strong now and of course, the last year’s victory was a dream come true to me. But afterwards, you just tend to forget about and put your focus on things to come.”
In tomorrow’s race, there is a Climb competition point at the top of the first hill, which is a new feature, and it will be interesting to see what kind of a twist that puts on the whole race. Additionally, there are two sprint points on the course; in Mångsbordarna at 24 km and in Evertsberg at 47 km.
In the men’s competition, a tight fight for the Vasaloppet champion title is expected as three former winners are among the favorites tomorrow ; last year’s winner Tore Bjørseth Berdal, Team Koteng, the winner of the 2018 edition, Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Eiendom, the winner in 2015, and Petter Eliassen, Team Ragde Eiendom. Additionally, the victor of the 2004 race, Anders Aukland is going to participate tomorrow.
In the women’s race, there are also four contestants who have won Vasaloppet in the past; Laila Kveli, Team Engcon, the winner in 2013 and 2014, Katerina Smutná, ED System Bauer Team, the winner in 2016, Lina Korsgren, Team Ramudden, the winner in 2018, and Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 Ski Team, the winner in 2017 and 2019.
”It will be a tough race again tomorrow as the conditions are going to be challenging,” Johansson Norgren states before the race. “Since we are racing together with the guys, it will be different for us women. I need to start fast and find a good position in the lead group and keep an eye on the other women wherever they are.”
Other favorites in the women’s category are Astrid Øyre Slind and Kari Vikhagen Gjeitnes, both from Team Koteng, Ida Dahl, Team Ramudden, and Emilie Fleten, Team Ragde Eiendom. Both Dahl and Fleten are racing Vasaloppet for the first time.
In addition to the aforementioned male skiers, there are many other potential podium performers in tomorrow’s race such as Stian Hoelgaard, Team Koteng, Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Team Ragde Eiendom, and a group of Swedish athletes, Max Novak, Team Ramudden, Marcus Johansson, Emil Persson and Andreas Holmberg, all from Lager 157 Ski Team, who crave to get the first Swedish victory since 2012 when Jörgen Brink won with the record time of 3:38:41.
