Tomorrow’s La Venosta Time Trial marks the 100th Visma Ski Classics event and pits Pro Tour athletes and traditional cross-country skiers against each other in a 10-kilometer individual uphill battle.

Due to the lack of snow, the 75-kilometer long Pro Tour event Reschenseerennen has been changed into a Time Trial and moved up to Melago in the Lagtaufer valley.

The 10-kilometer La Venosta Time Trial is the first-ever Pro Tour individual time trial. It starts in Kapron, at around 1600 meters high, and finishes at Melago Alm, with the climb checkpoint and finish line almost 2000 meters above sea level.

La Venosta Time Trial is short but not an easy course, with 400 meters of altitude gain in just 10-kilometers.

With the increase in the number of Covid infections and the cancellation of the FIS World Cup events before the Olympic Games, the number of traditional cross-country skiers who will start in this weekend’s Visma Ski Classics event as a form of preparation for the Olympics and upcoming races has grown. It seems that we will have double-poling Pro Tour athletes vs. diagonal striding traditional cross-country skiers, but just time will tell.

At the women’s La Venosta Time Trial competition, we have some good candidates. It will be the last race’s winner Ida Dahl, Team Ramudden, against Emilie Fleten, Team XPND Fuel, Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Lina Korsgren, Team Ramudden, just to name a few of the potential podium places. Astrid Øyre Slind, Team Koteng Eidissen, would be a top favorite for the race, but she is in quarantine in Switzerland and will not start.

We cannot forget the traditional cross-country skiers and new additions to the Pro Tour. Can Anastasia Rygalina, Russian Winter Team, Tatiana Sorina, Team Futura Alta Quota Trentino, Magni Smedås, Team Eksjöhus, and Anna Svendsen, Team Koteng Eidissen, perform at their best in this uphill time trial?

The same goes for men’s uphill race. Johannes Eklöf, Team Ramudden, is one of the favorites, after dropping his competitors on the brutal Prato Piazza hill and cruising to the finish line, winning the Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge last weekend. We should again expect to see a battle in the same vein as last weekend uphill race, with Stian Hoelgaard, Team Curira, Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Team XPND Fuel, Alexey Shemiakin, Russian Winter Team, Max Novak, Team Ramudden, and Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, fighting for the top places.

In addition, we can anticipate some great performances from Ermil Vokuev, Russian Winter Team, if he can regain his top form from Orsa Grönklitt Premiere. From the traditional cross-country skiing field, don’t expect less than top performances from Sergei Ustiugov, Team Futura Alta Quota Trentino, a top favorite for the win, and Martin Løvstrøm Nyenget, Team Eksjöhus.

Team Koteng Eidissen’s top favorites, Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Chris Jespersen, are in quarantine in Switzerland and will not start. But the Pro Team still has two solid names for the race, Mikael Gunnulfsen and Mattis Stenshagen. 

Expect many thrilling battles on the uphill course and some splendid drama as the skiers fight for glory in the first-ever Visma Ski Classics Individual Time Trial.

THE FACTS

LA VENOSTA TIME TRIAL (categorized as a 100 points event)

• Location: La Venosta, Italy
• Date: Saturday, January 15
• Start Time: Women 8:00 CET / Men 9:30 CET
• Distance: 10km Individual Time Trial
• Visma Ski Classics Climb: Melago Alm – 10km (100% points – Top 7 at Finish)

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