Team Ramudden had a fantastic start to this winter’s Ski Classics Season XV with Emilie Fleten’s victory and Amund Riege’s second place. Here, Pro Team Director Lina Korsgren shares her thoughts after the weekend, about the biggest surprise in Bad Gastein and the thoughts leading up to this weekend’s double races in La Venosta.

For Team Ramudden, Sunday’s individual race was an exciting day with Emilie Fleten’s victory, Amund Riege’s second place, and Alfred Buskqvist topping the Ski Classics Sprint competition (tied with the weekend’s individual winner Kasper Stadås from Team Ragde Charge).

“I’m very grateful for the start we had and that the athletes got to show their capabilities. I can’t say I’m surprised given the work I’ve seen them put in over the summer and autumn. But training is one thing; racing is something else. And, of course, it feels very good that we did so well with the equipment. With the new conditions (fluor ban), it creates a sense of calm for both skiers and waxers with the great start we had with really good skis,” says Pro Team Director Lina Korsgren to Langd.se.

The most impressive performer of the weekend was undoubtedly Emilie Fleten who skied solo from start to finish and won by nearly three minutes:

“I’ve seen Emilie take a step up, especially since she moved to Östersund, where I’ve seen her be really strong.”

What do you think the significance of her Vasaloppet victory, her first in Ski Classics, has been in this?

“Of course, there’s a mental barrier you cross when you win your first race. It means you know you can win again; you feel it’s ‘worth entering the battle’ to win and that you dare to challenge.”

Also Read: Ski Classics Standings after the Bad Gastein weekend

On the men’s side, 23-year-old Amund Riege already showed high class last season when he won the Youth competition very convincingly. This weekend he delivered two really sharp performances; he was aggressive and finished second.

“Amund is still in such an early phase of his career that you can see him taking step by step, but of course it’s really fun to see it in the race. The surprise on the men’s side was Alfred who did his life’s long race. I know how much this means both for Alfred and the rest of the guys,” says Korsgren about Buskqvist who finished seventh in the Bad Gastein Criterium (an improvement on his previous best result in Ski Classics, which was seventeenth at the Jizerská50 last season).

Next weekend, there are two new races; a long race on Saturday and an individual race on Sunday; this time in La Venosta, Italy.

Team Ramudden, like many other teams, were in Livigno:

“We’ll be here until Thursday (yesterday). All our skiers follow individual plans until departure, but what they have in common is that they want to get in a speed session before we leave and start our preparations on-site.”

Do you think it will be a similar race this weekend?

“I think it will be a similar scenario; there are many who are strong and want to show what they’re capable of early in the race. Then it’s a tougher course; a bit higher altitude and usually there’s tough conditions, so it will be a challenge. A cool challenge. Then for Sunday’s individual race, it’s about going deep within yourself and really boost yourself and make sure to do the job on your own against the clock,” concludes Lina Korsgren.

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XV

The Season XV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 15 events on 11 event weekends in 6 different countries. The season started in Bad Gastein, Austria, on December 9, 2023, and will end in Norway with the 100km Ski Classics Grand Finale Janteloppet on April 13, 2024.

Next up is La Venosta Criterium on December 16 and La Venosta ITT on December 17, 2023. The events mark the third and fourth Ski Classics Pro Tour stages of Season XV.

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XV (2023/2024)

• Event 1: December 9, 2023 – Bad Gastein PTT, Austria, 15km
• Event 2: December 10, 2023 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Austria, 35km
• Event 3: December 16, 2023 – La Venosta Criterium, Italy, 37km 
• Event 4: December 17, 2023 – La Venosta ITT, Italy, 10km
• Event 5: January 13, 2024 – 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon, Italy, 62km
• Event 6: January 20, 2024 – Engadin La Diagonela, Switzerland, 56km
• Event 7: January 28, 2024 – Marcialonga, Italy, 70km
• Event 8: February 11, 2024 – Jizerská50, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 17, 2024 – Grönklitt Classic, Sweden, 50km
• Event 10: February 18, 2024 – Grönklitt ITT, Sweden, 12km
• Event 11: March 3, 2024 – Vasaloppet, Sweden, 90km
• Event 12: March 16, 2024 – Birkebeinerrennet, Norway, 54km
• Event 13: April 6, 2024 – Reistadløpet, Norway, 50km
• Event 14: April 7, 2024 – Summit 2 Senja, Norway, 60km
• Event 15: April 13, 2024 – Ski Classics Grand Finale – Janteloppet, Norway, 100km

More information about Ski Classics can be found at www.skiclassics.com