First Grand Classics race of the season, Marcialonga continues the Ski Classics Pro Tour on Sunday and is one of the season’s highlights. Team Kaskipuu’s Oona Kettunen and Juuso Mäkelä and Team Næringsbanken Stora Enso’s Kati Roivas have had a solid start to the Ski Classics season.

“It is important not to be too ‘fueled up,’ as the first 10-15 kilometers are crucial when you ski uphill and where the snow is slightly drier than elsewhere in the course. You have to think of the start almost as a traditional distance race, ski on the limit as much as possible, and try to hold on when you start on the easier sections. Of course, there are a lot of fast sections. It requires a lot from the core after 50-60km of skiing. Then there is the final climb, so it will not come down to a final sprint. It is a brutal endurance race,” says Team Kaskipuu’s Pro Team Director, Kari Varis.

Varis is pleased with his team’s start of the season. Oona Kettunen and Juuso Mäkelä have made Team Kaskipuu’s colors visible. Kettunen’s first Ski Classics season has already brought top 10 finishes.

“It has been better than I expected,” Varis says of Team Kaskipuu’s early season.

Kati Roivas, Team Næringsbanken Stora Enso, is one of the skiers who like the profile of Marcialonga.

“I like the race. When you start, there is a hill section right away. I hope that the field starts to break down into smaller groups from the start. Now the final climb has also been changed a bit, so we will see how it is,” says Roivas.

Roivas has taken a step forward as a Pro Tour skier and has been able to ski to her career’s best results. In Engadin La Diagonela, she was already fourth.

“For sure, my skiing has improved. It was a good training season. Last year was already a good season, but there was that frostbite and a little bit of a rough start to getting back into training. This spring, I was able to start the training season healthy, and it certainly shows up now,” says Roivas of her development as a skier.

Roivas has enjoyed her team’s intensive training camps.

“We did a lot of intervals as a group, where the men had slower roller skis. I got quite a lot out of those trainings,” says Roivas.

What still separates you from the podium skiers?

“There is still a lot of room for improvement. If all the top three women are on the start line, they are often still on their own level. Of course, if there are absences, it gives a chance for others. I need more resilience and power to sprint at the end of the races. The technique is another big area for improvement.”

The upcoming Ski Classics Pro Tour event is Marcialonga, a 70km classic technique event in Italy on January 29.

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XIV (2022/2023)

• Event 1: December 10, 2022 – Bad Gastein PTT, Bad Gastein, Austria, 15km
• Event 2: December 11, 2022 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Bad Gastein, Austria, 35km
• Event 3: December 17, 2022 – La Venosta Criterium, Val Venosta, Italy, 40km 
• Event 4: January 14, 2023 – Pustertaler Ski Marathon, Sexten, Italy, 62km
• Event 5: January 15, 2023 – Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, Niederdorf, Italy, 32km
• Event 6: January 21, 2023 – Engadin La Diagonela, Engadin Valley, Switzerland, 48km 
• Event 7: January 29, 2023 – Marcialonga, Trentino, Italy, 70km
• Event 8: February 12, 2023 – Jizerská50, Bedrichov, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 18, 2023 – Grönklitt Criterium, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
• Event 10: February 19, 2023 – Grönklitt ITT, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 15km
• Event 11: March 5, 2023 – Vasaloppet, Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
• Event 12: March 18, 2023 – Birkebeinerrennet, Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
• Event 13: April 1, 2023 – Reistadløpet, Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 40km
• Event 14: April 2, 2023 – Summit 2 Senja, Bardufoss- Finnsnes, Norway, 67km

More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour you can find at skiclassics.com.

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