He slipped in among the top Norwegians and became the first non-Scandinavian skier. Who is the talent who has played a significant role in helping Team Slavia Pojišťovna Robinson Trentino reach the podium in the Ski Classics Pro Team standings?

Simon Vuillet achieved his personal best in Ski Classics at the Bad Gastein Criterium, finishing seventh. A highly valued top 10 result in the opening individual Ski Classics Pro Tour event, which was otherwise completely dominated by Norwegians.

The French flag, therefore, stood out clearly on the results list, and it is evident that the young skier did not go unnoticed. Where did this new talent come from, the athlete who, over the past year, has been fighting for the best young skier bib?

Simon Vuillet comes from the Jura Mountains, not far from the Alps, which he himself calls a skiing paradise. The region offers around 3,000 kilometers of cross-country skiing tracks. So what else is there to do but ski?

The talented athlete, who was very visible both in Saturday’s Pro Team Tempo and Sunday’s 36km criterium, is only in his second full season focusing on the Ski Classics series. The 25-year-old currently holds second place in the Youth competition, just 18 points behind Amund Riege, who was very strong last season.

Also Read: Ski Classics Season XVII: Standings after the Bad Gastein weekend

Last year, Simon’s best result was 18th place at Marcialonga Bodø. In most other races, he finished between 20th and 30th place. In Vasaloppet, he finished 59th.

He competed for many years in traditional cross-country skiing, but eventually felt it no longer fulfilled him:

“The selection process weighed on me, and the FESA Cups were not very attractive. That’s why I switched to long-distance skiing, where I really liked the series, the atmosphere, and everything around it,” he explains to Bezky.net, adding:

“I like the popular aspect, where anyone can take part in the race, while at the same time some athletes perform at a very high level.”

And how does Simon assess his weekend result, which is his personal best in Ski Classics?

“Yes, I’m happy with my progress. I was pleased to break into the top 20 already in my first season in this series. This year, the goal was to get closer to the podium, and I’m very happy with this top 10 result. But now I want to repeat this performance in the upcoming important races,” he reveals his ambitions.

Last season, he represented the smaller i3 Ski Team, but this year, he decided to make a change. He moved to the Czech Italian Team Slavia Pojišťovna Robinson Trentino. The newly merged team is led by experienced Pro Team Director Bruno Debertolis, and Simon speaks very positively about the cooperation:

“Bruno contacted me last season to join his team. I liked the project and accepted the offer. Here I find the same family atmosphere that existed in i3 Ski Team, but with stronger logistical support,” he says, praising his decision.

Also Read: Team Slavia Pojišťovna Robinson Trentino off to a solid start in Season XVII

Breaking into the Norwegian top ten and becoming the first non-Scandinavian skier is difficult not only in the cross-country World Cup but also in Ski Classics.

Why has the French talent made such progress again this year?

“I introduced some new elements into my training because after five years of working together, I changed coach. So, I made certain adjustments but kept continuity with what I had been doing in previous years,” Vuillet explains, without going into details.

Very few athletes can train alone and reach the top level. Simon also tries to join others for training sessions:

“Yes, when my training plan and school schedule allow it, I like to train with other skiers, whether they are long-distance skiers or traditional cross-country skiers.”

In the past two years, several new French names have appeared in Ski Classics with strong results: Hanna Fine, Jérémy Royer, and now you. Why is that?

“Maybe it’s because we have the same coach!” he says with a smile about working with coach Rémi Salacroup, before adding more seriously:

“No, I think the overall French level is continuing to rise, and more and more French athletes are coming into Ski Classics, which over time inevitably leads to good results.”

Season XVII of the Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 13 events across 9 event weekends in 6 countries. 

Read More: Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVII 2025/2026

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVII (2025/2026)

• Event 1: December 13, 2025 – Bad Gastein Pro Team Tempo – Sportgastein, Austria, 7km
• Event 2: December 14, 2025 – Bad Gastein Criterium – Sportgastein, Austria, 36km
• Event 3: January 17, 2026 – Engadin La Diagonela – Pontresina-Zuoz, Switzerland, 55km
• Event 4: January 25, 2026 – Marcialonga – Moena-Cavalese, Italy, 70km
• Event 5: January 30, 2026 – Bedřichov Sprint – Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 1.5km
• Event 6: February 1, 2026 – Jizerská50 – Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 7: March 1, 2026 – Vasaloppet – Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
• Event 8: March 7, 2026 – Orsa Grönklitt 50k ITT Women – Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
• Event 9: March 8, 2026 – Orsa Grönklitt 50k ITT Men – Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
• Event 10: March 14, 2026 – Birkebeinerrennet – Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
• Event 11: March 21, 2026 – Marcialonga Bodø – Bodø, Norway, 50km
• Event 12: March 28, 2026 – Reistadløpet – Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 35km
• Event 13: March 29, 2026 – Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja – Bardufoss-Finnsnes, Norway, 60km

For more updates and detailed information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour, make sure to visit skiclassics.com.