Season XVIII of Ski Classics World Championship kicks off on December 11 in Bad Gastein, Austria. For the first time in Ski Classics history, a destination will host two event weekends. Over the course of ten days, four events will be held in the Gastein Valley and combined into an overall Tour Competition.

The Austrian Ski Classics Pro Team Cibes Lift Ski-Willy Marathon Team has inspected the new courses and spoken to ProXCskiing.com about the challenges ahead.

The season opener will be the Bad Gastein Prologue, a one-kilometer individual time trial through the historic town center. The Cibes Lift Ski-Willy Marathon Team was on site to test the course on roller skis.

Jonathan Göppert, one of the strongest athletes in the German-speaking team, was impressed by the challenge:

“You should take the word ‘vertical’ seriously. The climb through the narrow alley towards the Salzburgerhof is likely to favour specialist climbers rather than sprinters,” says Göppert to ProXCskiing.com.

Pro Team Director Peter Kiene adds:

“This event will set new standards. Anyone hoping to make it to the top will need to be capable of pushing their way up the jump hill of a ski jumping facility. For spectators, it will certainly be a spectacular event. The adjacent hotels offer a perfect view of the decisive section of the course,” says Keine.

Also Read: Season XVIII starts with a 1km Prologue through town

The story continues below.

Another new addition to the race calendar is the Sportgastein Criterium on Sunday, December 13, featuring a 30-kilometer classic race. The main challenge is the final climb to the middle station of the Goldbergbahn cable car.

On race day, competitors will first complete three laps through the magnificent high-alpine valley of Sportgastein. On the fourth lap, they will reach the turning point at the head of the valley before tackling the final climb to the finish. The Cibes Lift Ski-Willy Marathon Team walked the course to gain valuable insights ahead of its home event.

Team Lead Performance Coach Luisa Grießbaum explains:

“The climb is longer and steeper than expected. The finish line is located at an altitude of more than 1,900 metres. Anyone hoping to be among the leaders at the finish will need to pace themselves carefully; otherwise, they could lose several minutes on the final climb alone. The athletes’ ability to adapt to the altitude could also play a very important role here,” says Grießbaum.

Read More: Sportgastein Criterium – the first Climb of Season XVIII

For Pro Team Director Peter Kiene, there is no doubt about the scale of the challenge:

“The climb is at least twice as long as the Cascata, significantly steeper and located 1,000 metres higher. Anyone who has a healthy respect for the Cascata will be in for a few sleepless nights here. If the weather cooperates, we can expect stunning television images. The unique alpine scenery of the Gastein Valley provides the perfect setting for a race of this calibre.”

Also Read: Cibes Lift Ski-Willy Marathon Team — Pro Team presentation Season XVIII

Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII (2026/2027) 

• Event 1: December 11, 2026 – Bad Gastein Prologue – Austria – 1km  
• Event 2: December 13, 2026 – Sportgastein Criterium – Austria – 30km  
• Event 3: December 19, 2026 – Bad Gastein ITT – Austria – 7km  
• Event 4: December 20, 2026 – Bad Gastein Criterium – Austria – 36km  
Bad Gastein Tour (Events 1–4 of Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII)  
• Event 5: January 16, 2027 – Engadin La Diagonela – Switzerland – 55km  
• Event 6: January 17, 2027 – Zuoz–St. Moritz Sprint – Switzerland – 30km  
• Event 7: January 31, 2027 – Marcialonga – Italy – 70km  
• Event 8: February 12, 2027 – Bedřichov Heat Sprint – Czech Republic – 1.5km  
• Event 9: February 14, 2027 – Jizerská 50 – Czech Republic – 50km  
• Event 10: February 27, 2027 – Oxberg–Mora Sprint Women – Sweden – 30km  
• Event 11: February 28, 2027 – Oxberg–Mora Sprint Men – Sweden – 30km  
• Event 12: March 7, 2027 – Vasaloppet – Sweden – 90km  
• Event 13: March 20, 2027 – Birkebeinerrennet – Norway – 53km  
• Event 14: April 3, 2027 – Reistadløpet – Norway – 35km  
• Event 15: April 4, 2027 – Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja – Norway – 60km 

Read More: Ski Classics World Championship Season XVIII

For more updates and detailed information about the Ski Classics World Championship, visit skiclassics.com. 

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