The former Norwegian national team sprinter is entering an exciting period. After 12 years on the World Cup circuit, he’s now stepping onto a completely new stage — and will become a father just days after one of the most important races of the season.

There’s a lot of change ahead for Håvard Solås Taugbøl this year, both at work and at home.

At the end of last season, the 32-year-old from Lillehammer announced that he was leaving the Norwegian national team and the World Cup to focus on long-distance skiing.

The sprint star was headhunted by Team Ragde Charge, the long-distance team led by the Aukland brothers. There, he’s now teammates with Ski Classics Legend Andreas Nygaard.

“It’s really great to be on a team with such a veteran. Andreas was one of the reasons I wanted to join Team Ragde Charge,” Taugbøl told Langrenn.com.

At the same time, he admits that the switch was a gamble and that the risk felt high.

“I was nervous about whether I’d regret it. It’s always a bit scary to make such a decision. I’ve been privileged to race a lot of World Cups and be part of the national team. But I’m very happy with my choice — new challenges and new ways of thinking about training,” said Taugbøl.

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Full of motivation

The transition to long-distance racing has gone smoothly, despite the fact that the training routine is entirely different from his days with the national team.

“My daily life is very different now. I’m double-poling all the time and preparing for races lasting two to two and a half hours — not two and a half minutes. But that’s exactly what I was looking for: something completely new. I feel like I’ve made the right move and I’m really enjoying it,” said Taugbøl.

Aiming for the biggest races

A month before the season opener, Taugbøl is both ambitious and humble.

“I have a two-year contract with Ragde, so that this first winter will be a bit of a test. But I hope to fight near the top already this season,” he said, revealing that he’s targeting some of the sport’s most prestigious races.

“Marcialonga and Vasaloppet have profiles that should suit me well, given my sprint background. And right after Vasaloppet comes Birken — my home race — where I’ll be fully prepared for the first time,” Taugbøl added.

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Birken and baby, back-to-back

And shortly after Birkebeinerrennet, the Lillehammer skier will also become a father for the second time. His partner’s due date is March 24 — just over a week after one of the season’s biggest highlights.

“March will definitely be an exciting month, with Vasaloppet on March 1, Birkebeinerrennet at home, and then only ten days until the due date,” said Taugbøl, adding that they’re expecting a boy.

He and his partner already have a two-year-old daughter.

“It’ll be nice to expand the family again. And I’m really glad the due date is at the end of March — the season is almost over, so I can spend the whole spring with my family.”

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