This Sunday’s centennial Vasaloppet in Sweden is the tenth stage and third Grand Classics event in the Visma Ski Classics Season XII. The biggest race in the world is expected to have a lot of tactical play and be a thrilling race as always.
The 90-kilometer Pro Tour race starts in Sälen and finishes in Mora. Men and Women start at 8:00 CET. The course has Sprint competition points in Mångsbodarna at 24km and Evertsberg at 47km. The only Climb point comes early in the race at the first climb at the 3km mark.
Tartu Maraton winners Britta Johansson Norgren and Emil Persson, both Pro Tour skiers from Lager 157 Ski Team, are firm favorites to win the race on Sunday due to their impressive performances two weeks ago.
For Britta Johansson Norgren, Vasaloppet is one of her main goals this season.
“Vasaloppet is important to me. Vasaloppet and Birken are my main goal this season, so I hope I can be in my best shape, and it will mean a lot to me to win Vasaloppet,” says Johansson Norgren in the Visma Ski Classics Press Conference during the week.
And concludes with her expectations about the race and starting with the men:
“I expect a speedy race from the beginning. I think you have to go almost all you can on the first hill and be offensive the whole race to get a chance to win Vasaloppet.”
Britta Johansson Norgren is one of the favorites in the women’s race, but Ida Dahl, Team Ramudden, is looking to be back on top form after her 5th place at Jizerská50 and win her first Vasaloppet and third Grand Classics of Season XII.
Winning Vasaloppet means that Dahl can keep on the road to be the first long-distance skier in history to do a Grand Slam and win the four most significant Pro Tour events in one season.
“Vasaloppet is the biggest race we have in Sweden, so it’s important for us, and I also think for all the other skiers. The atmosphere, traditions, and all people together make the race very special,” says Ida Dahl at the press conference during the week.
Dahl also comments on how she is dealing with the possibility of winning Vasaloppet and keeping the challenge of winning the four Grand Classics events this season:
“It’s very inspiring, and I look at it as something positive. Hopefully, I will be able to win, and I will do everything I can to do it, but of course, the other girls are strong, but it will be entertaining to be the only one to have the opportunity to win the Grand Slam”, concludes Dahl.
There are at least three more potential women’s podium skiers, to name a few.
Lina Korsgren, Team Ramudden, last Vasaloppet winner; Thea Krokan Murud, Lager 157 Ski Team, runner-up two weeks ago; and Magni Smedås, Team Eksjöhus, who is showing good form and placed 3rd at Tartu Maraton. These three Pro Tour skiers can be considered solid names for top positions on Sunday.
It seems that we have an open game and various contenders for the men’s race.
Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, is one of the most substantial favorites. Persson is now looking forward to Sunday’s battle with rising form, and good memories from his Tartu Maraton solo win.
In the Visma Ski Classics press conference, Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, told ProXCskiing about the importance of Vasaloppet for him:
“Vasaloppet has such a long history in Sweden. I grew up watching the race on TV first Sunday of March, my dad also trained for it and has done Vasaloppet several times, so it’s part of our culture. Also, it’s the biggest race in the world, and the atmosphere is great.”
And continues about the possibility of winning solo again:
“It’s hard to say, you have to have good skis and body, but of course, I want to win solo. I won solo one time now, then maybe I don’t get the chance that other guys let me go one more time, but we will see how it evolves. In my opinion, it will be a hard race, and with good conditions, it will be interesting to go fast,” concludes Persson.
Last year’s Vasaloppet winner, Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Team XPND Fuel, can be considered one of the top favorites for Sunday’s race. Gjerdalen is preparing for Vasaloppet and is ready to be number one again.
In addition, we can anticipate some outstanding performance and a good fight for top places from Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge. Nygaard is showing top form, winning Jizerská50, second place at Tartu Maraton, and can put in check all the other contenders’ chances.
Another strong name is Max Novak, Team Ramudden, who is ready to revenge his bad memories from last year’s race. Novak put on a solid training block before Vasaloppet and is prepared for Sunday’s race.
We need to mention Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, who won Engadin La Diagonela in a superb style and is back to the circuit. If he can find the form and the race ends in a sprint, he can be a potential winner.
Let’s not forget about Runar Skaug Mathisen, Lager 157 Ski Team; Anders Aukland, Team Ragde Charge; Klas Nilsson and Stian Hoelgaard, Team Curira; and Nils Persson, Team Engcon. They can most likely be among the top 10 skiers on a good day.
Expect many battles all the way to the Mora finish portal, as the Pro Tour skiers fight to win Season XII’s tenth stage and third Grand Classics event.
Don’t miss out on the event, available on Ski Classics Play. The women and men start together at 8:00 CET.
VASALOPPET – FACTS
- Location: Sälen-Mora, Sweden
- Date: Sunday, March 6
- Start Time: Women & Men 8:00 CET
- Distance: 90km Classic Technique
- Visma Ski Classics Sprints: Mångsbodarna – 24km, Evertsberg – 47km
- Visma Ski Classics Climb: 3km
- Highest Peak: 554m
- Total Climbing: 944m
- Active years: 100
- Website: Vasaloppet
Vasaloppet program, start lists, and live streaming on SC Play can be found here.
VASALOPPET – MAPS
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