A true force in Ski Classics since 2011, Morten Eide Pedersen, Team Eksjöhus, has achieved outstanding results over the years. He has 12 podium places, of which three are victories, all from Jizerská50. 

This season, he is showing a solid performance and is second overall in the Champion competition with 791 points. Morten has had five top-10 finishes so far, starting the winter with a 6th place at Bad Gastein Criterium and a 5th at La Venosta Criterium. Later, he was 8th at Pustertaler Ski Marathon, 12th at Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, 6th at Engadin La Diagonela, and 4th place at Marcialonga.   

On Sunday, Morten Eide Pedersen will be the first Pro Tour athlete to achieve 100 individual Pro Tour starts in the Ski Classics history. ProXCskiing.com talked to one of the best athletes in the circuit, who made his first season in Ski Classics in 2011 and had his breakthrough in the 2014/2015 season when he won Jizerská50 and finished in fifth place overall. 

Get to know about the past, present, and future of this great name on Ski Classics.

Morten Eide Pedersen is about to start his 100th individual Pro Tour event (Jizerská50) and remembers the start in 2011 with his first Pro Tour event: König Ludwig Lauf with 14th place. 

“I remember that König Ludwig Lauf was one of my first trips abroad. We were a group of friends who tried our hand at long-distance skiing, and therefore König Ludwig Lauf became my first in Ski Classics. I don’t remember much from the race other than it was the first time I double-poled in a ski race. When I woke up the next day, I could hardly get out of bed. Fortunately, a lot has happened since then.”

“In the beginning, the goal of participating in Ski Classics was to travel and learn. I still focused on traditional cross-country skiing, but it was fun to travel around a bit. At the time, Birken was the big thing, but the journey was just as important as the achievements.”

“It was only in 2015 that I decided to invest fully in long-distance skiing. I became part of Team BN Bank, and everything immediately became more professional. I had a new perspective; the goal now was to perform and win ski races.”

What are your best memories from all these soon-to-be 100 Ski Classics Pro Tour starts? 

“I think that must be the first victory at Jizerská in 2015. Before then, I had chosen to go with kick wax in almost all races, which was also one of my strengths. I didn’t quite believe in going with no kick wax at the time, but I had an ‘aha’ experience in that race. Conditions were bad that day with lots of rain. It became hopeless to wax (kick wax) the skis, so I was somewhat forced to double pole. At the same time, I had a very good day and had a break halfway together with Petter Eliassen to the finish line.”

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After the victory in 2015, Morten has won Jizerská50 twice: in 2017 and 2018.

How do you see the Ski Classics development in all these years? 

“I saw a big change when it comes to skiing. Now you must double pole to have the chance to win. Now only Reistadløpet has not been won on skis with no kick wax.”

“Otherwise, the biggest difference in recent years is that Ski Classics has become much more professional. Especially with the development of teams and the magnitude of several athletes. Before, I had my strength on the hills, but now there are at least 50-60 men towards the end. We also see that World Cup skiers rarely manage to take the win when they start at long-distance races. The level has become high.”

Morten also sees his development as an athlete and a person during these 100 events. 

“I saw when I started long-distance skiing in 2011; I also became a better all-round skier at the same time. I gained a completely different strength, which led to me also starting to skate better. It raised me as a skier.”

“At the same time, Ski Classics gave me the opportunity to continue my career when I tried traditional cross-country skiing. I never reached WC level, but by belonging to a team in Ski Classics, I got to do all the long-distance races I wanted.”

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And Eide Pedersen continues with his thoughts about the future of Ski Classics and his future on the circuit. 

“We now see that younger athletes are joining Ski Classics. I see the same when I go skiing here in Lillehammer, that there are children under the age of 7-8 who are out and about. New generations take things easier, and that helps to develop long-distance skiing. More people invest in long-distance skiing at a young age, and the development that has taken place in recent years with TV rights and more attention, I think, is only positive in terms of that development. At the same time, we see that older athletes like Anders Aukland are still in the game and performing well.”

Will you be the new Aukland?

“No, I do not think so. I really enjoy what I do now. I want to continue as long as I’m motivated and my body can handle it. I take one or two years at a time. In previous years, I have felt sharper in several races, but this year I have remained consistent throughout the season. I perform several weekends. That is also important.”

Can we see Morten Eide Pedersen starting his 200th event?  

“We’ll see. Maybe 50 more.”

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You are a member of Team Eksjöhus. What did Magni’s victory in Marcialonga mean to the team?

“It was the team’s first win, so it means a lot. We are chasing victories, and it will likely be easier to win several times now. There is a good atmosphere in the whole team. At the same time, we have an incredibly good service team that works around the clock to ensure that we have the best skis and conditions before every race.”

What have you been doing since Marcialonga?

“I have taken it easy and prepared for the weekend’s next event. I’ve helped prepare a lot of skis here at Lillehammer, among other things, and I’ve also had some training.”

With your fourth place at Marcialonga, what do you say about the race?

“It’s boring to be so close. Podium places matter to me, and it’s sad to end up in fourth place. But next time, I hope for a slightly better day.”

“In any case, I am happy to be well placed overall (number two behind Emil Persson). It is important to stay consistent if you are going for the overall victory. The gap to Emil is huge, but that can quickly turn around. Marcialonga was one of the year’s big goals for me, so now the fight for the yellow bib is the most important. There are still more races and many points to be awarded. It is not impossible.”

What is the plan now for Jizerská on Sunday?

“We traveled to the Czech Republic on Thursday. Then we have time to go through the course and test skis. After Jizerská, we travel to Sweden, where two races await (Orsa). The next period will be quite tough.”

Also Read: The Champion Bib Favorites After Marcialonga 

The upcoming Ski Classics Pro Tour event is Jizerská50, a 50km classic technique event in the Czech Republic on February 12.

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XIV (2022/2023)

•  Event 1: December 10, 2022 – Bad Gastein PTT, Bad Gastein, Austria, 15km
• Event 2: December 11, 2022 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Bad Gastein, Austria, 35km
• Event 3: December 17, 2022 – La Venosta Criterium, Val Venosta, Italy, 36km 
• Event 4: January 14, 2023 – Pustertaler Ski Marathon, Sexten, Italy, 62km
• Event 5: January 15, 2023 – Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, Niederdorf, Italy, 32km
• Event 6: January 21, 2023 – Engadin La Diagonela, Engadin Valley, Switzerland, 48km 
• Event 7: January 29, 2023 – Marcialonga, Trentino, Italy, 70km
• Event 8: February 12, 2023 – Jizerská50, Bedrichov, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 18, 2023 – Grönklitt Criterium, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
• Event 10: February 19, 2023 – Grönklitt ITT, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 15km
• Event 11: March 5, 2023 – Vasaloppet, Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
• Event 12: March 18, 2023 – Birkebeinerrennet, Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
• Event 13: April 1, 2023 – Reistadløpet, Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 40km
• Event 14: April 2, 2023 – Summit 2 Senja, Bardufoss-Finnsnes, Norway, 67km

More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour you can find at skiclassics.com.

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