Team Eksjöhus has begun their third season in the Ski Classics in a very solid way. They lead the Pro Team competition with 180 points ahead of Team Engcon. Regarding the number of skiers achieving individual podium finishes, the team, based in Småland, tops with five skiers on the podium.

This achievement is courtesy of the quintet Sofie Elebro, Kati Roivas, Magni Smedås, Axel Jutterström, and Thomas Ødegården. Following closely behind are Team Ragde Charge and Team Ramudden, with three skiers each (see the complete list at the end of the article).

After last weekend’s races in Switzerland (Engadin La Diagonela), where Team Eksjöhus achieved their first win of the winter through Magni Smedås, the team is now gearing up for this weekend’s Marcialonga.

Ahead of this year’s season, Team Eksjöhus made several changes around the team; Marthe Kristoffersen was employed full-time as a coach, and Espen Träldal transitioned from Sports Director to Pro Team Director:

“We’ve made an investment in Marthe who is an incredibly skilled coach, and she has control over the skiers in the present. Marthe and the skiers are in daily contact, and they put a lot of heart into this. Having Marthe involved means she can direct the training on a daily basis, both towards camps and competitions. This has meant that the skiers have ‘similar’ form when they come to our training camps and thus can push each other. It’s been a winning concept,” says Träldal to Langd.se.

But can you say that there is a common concept regarding how Team Eksjöhus skiers train?

“The foundation is similar. They train a lot, hard, and well. But then the training is personally adapted. All skiers react differently and that’s why we tailor the training individually to optimize the chance of success in individual races,” says Träldal.

However, it wasn’t only on the leadership side that Team Eksjöhus made changes for the winter; this was also the case with the skiers.

Two of the team’s newcomers have been on the podium this season, and for both Kati Roivas and Thomas Ødegården, this has happened on several occasions.

But perhaps the biggest steps in personal development have been taken by the Swedish skiers; Axel Jutterström is second in the overall standings after a series of strong performances, and Sofie Elebro has achieved her career’s first podium finish and is currently fourth in the battle for the Champion’s bib:

“In Sofie’s case, it’s so fun to see that she gets ‘rewarded’ for several years of striving. And I would say that all our skiers have improved at least a notch since last year, due to the work we’ve done as a team, because it’s a teamwork between the skiers, Marthe as a coach, and the service men. Then we’ve worked a lot on us working as a team. We rejoice in each other’s successes and help each other to succeed. A clear example of this is when Magni in her first race of the season (3 Zinnen Ski Marathon) gave her pole to Kati when she broke hers, because Kati had been so strong in training. I think Magni could also have been on the podium, but she wanted to optimize the team’s chances of success and she was unsure of her own form after the injury. It’s a fantastic sign of how important the team is,” says Träldal.

Team Eksjöhus is still relatively new as a Pro Team; this season is their third in the Ski Classics circuit. Have you progressed further in your development than you thought when you started the team?

“We have always said and aimed to become the world’s best team, and right now we are leading the team competition, so in a way, you could say that we are. But at the same time, it’s crucial to remain extremely humble, and what has happened up to now is history. We are working towards new goals and want to be the best in all races. Our next big goal is Marcialonga. To answer the question briefly, we as a team and a group have definitely taken steps but there is certainly room for development. One of these areas is that we need to start winning races on the men’s side as well. This is one of the aspects we are working on moving forward.”

Finally, what drives you in your role as Pro Team Director?

“I’m competitive. I want to produce, regardless of what it is, that are winning and leading, and I am driven by seeing athletes grow and become their best selves. My job in this is to contribute to creating a structure and a culture where we work to help each other; where everyone takes responsibility and where we collectively work to step by step raise our lowest level.”

Here are the Pro Teams that have taken individual podium places in Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XV

• Team Eksjöhus  
  Sofie Elebro, Kati Roivas, Magni Smedås, Axel Jutterström, Thomas Ødegården
• Team Ragde Charge  
  Kasper Stadås, Andreas Nygaard, Johan Hoel
• Team Ramudden
  Emilie Fleten, Amund Riege, Herman Paus
• Lager 157 Ski Team
  Karolina Hedenström, Emil Persson
• Team Engcon
  Ida Dahl
• Team Aker Dæhlie
  Max Novak