Written by Erik Wickström
Øyvind Moen Fjeld will race for Lager 157 Ski Team next season. The former Ragde Eiendom athlete has been top 10 not less than thirteen times, but he didn’t reach the podium until the Visma Ski Classics final this year at Ylläs-Levi, where he has third. Fjeld is ranked fourth overall, so he is truly one of the best long distance skiers in the world. But since he has been on a team with stars such as Andreas Nygaard and Tord Asle Gjerdalen, his role has always been to help his teammates. On his new team, Fjeld will be the best male skier and we expect to see him on the podium more often.
Team BN Bank has retired as a team. Petter Eliassen has signed Team Ragde Eiendom, but we don’t about the other team members. Rumours say that Morten Eide Pedersen and Simen Østensen will start their own team? Or will Pedersen race for Team Kaffebryggeriet? At the final event of Visma Ski Classics it seemed like Øystein Pettersen would quit as a pro skier. But some sources indicate that he declined the Norwegian TV show Mesternes Mester, where you have to be retired as an athlete to participate. Is he looking for a season with only thing in mind, to win the Vasaloppet?
Kari Vikhagen Gjeitnes didn’t get prolonged agreement with Team Ragde Eiendom. Gjeitnes, who is ranked sixth overall, was not happy about that. “It is disappointing since I hoped that my level was good enough”, she wrote on her own Facebook page. As far as we know she is undecided about her future as a long distance skier. Thea Krokan Murud and Emilie Fleten will instead be the female skiers for Team Ragde Eiendom next season. Murud is 24 years old and was seventh at Birkebeinerrennet last season. Fleten is 26 years old and was fifth at Birkebeinerrennet in 2018. Both also have promising results at traditional skiing.
Gossips say that Magdalena Pajala, with a top 10 result at the Olympics in sprint, will sign Team Serneke?
