The Ski Classics Season XV is over, but preparation for the upcoming season is underway. Hear about the past season and what lies ahead for the French Pro Team, Team Nordic Expérience.

Team Nordic Expérience has been around for some years, making the Ski Classics popular among skiers and enthusiasts in France. They have just completed another season in Ski Classics and ended up in 12th place overall in the Pro Team competition, meaning they are guaranteed a Pro Team license for Season XVI and confirmed their status as the best French Pro Team. 

Maxime Grenard, Pro Team Director, reflects on the team’s performance during Season XV:

“Last season was very special. Following the departure of Thomas Joly to another team and the retirement of several experienced athletes, we had to renew our crew extensively – a rejuvenated but highly motivated team,” says Grenard and added about the free fluor waxing:

“The arrival of non-fluorinated wax also was one of the year’s biggest challenges. The glide differences between the big teams and the smaller ones were accentuated. We had to double our efforts to try to compete. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn’t. It was very tough and frustrating, but everyone gave 200%.”

Grenard also mentioned about the achievement of several goals:

“Although we would have hopped for better, several objectives were achieved, as exemplified by our leaders like Jeremy Royer, who showed impressive consistency by finishing 6thin the Youth ranking and 29th in the Champion competition with 6 top 30 finishes, 2 top 20 finishes, and 1 top 15 finish, and Laurie Flochon Joly, who ranked 25th overall and achieved her first top 20 finish. Our young recruits progressed throughout the season, such as Léonie Harivel, who finished 30th in the Champion competition and 9th in the Youth ranking in her first season. The presence of Sabin Coupat and Jules Chappaz at the end of the season is also a great source of pride. They helped us secure 12th place in the overall team ranking. We hope to see them with us again next season. I’m proud of the entire team, who never gave up until the end!”

Despite the challenges and difficulties, what is the most memorable moment from the season?

“The team event at the season opener is always a highlight! I think there should also be a team event on the final day! We compete in an individual sport, but the team spirit carries each athlete! Otherwise, Marcialonga is always a special event. The pace of this edition was incredible from start to finish; it was insane!”

What aspects did Team Nordic Expérience excel in during Season XV?

“Our strength lies in never giving up! Team spirit, good atmosphere, resourcefulness, and hard work again allowed us to compete sometimes with the best despite our limited resources.”

In what areas do you see potential for further development?

“Our greatest potential for development, unfortunately, relates to our budget. It is negligible compared to other nations. As long as we do not have the means to retain our best athletes or recruit the best French or Swiss athletes, we will start from scratch almost every year. Currently, most team athletes need to pay a part of their season,” says Grenard and adds:

“The Ski Classics rules regarding non-Norwegians and non-Swedes stems from good intentions. It is very good for the athletes but hurts teams like ours. I know the Ski Classics project is long-term, but we still need enough financial and human resources to survive until that day. We have a different long-distance culture than Scandinavian culture, and good long-distance athletes are rare in our country. Faced with the lack of means, at best, they go abroad, and at worst, they are forced to end their careers to make a living. It is very frustrating for them as well as for us. The lack of snow in France hasn’t been helping us in recent years either.”

Also Read: French Pro Team athlete joins Team Eksjöhus

When do you expect to finalize your team for the upcoming season? 

“We hope to finalize the team composition next week. There are no particular announcements to make at the moment. We are working hard to maintain a competitive team despite the departure of Jeremy Royer, who followed those of Alexis Jeannerod, Roxane Lacroix, Kati Roivas, and Thomas Joly, among others.”

Last but not least, what are your goals for Season XVI?

“Following the departure of a team leader, we had to reorganize ourselves and reassess our objectives. Having a team solely focused on the Ski Classics Tour is no longer feasible. The idea is to have a team competing on the Ski Classics circuit to achieve significant performances for some and gain experience for others while strategically skipping certain races to focus on winning major classic races in France and Switzerland (such as Les Belles Combes, Bessans, La Tranjurassienne, La Mara, etc).”

“We also aim to strengthen our team outside of the Ski Classics, allowing us to participate in the Marathon Ski Tour circuit in France and major races in Central Europe in skating technique. Finally, following the example of Sabin Coupat last winter, we will support and follow athletes aiming for selection in FESA (European Ski Federation) events and World Cup competitions,” concludes Maxime Grenard.

Also Read: The complete Pro Team Ranking Season XV