In cycling, it’s common to have support riders with specific tasks for each race. Team Ragde Charge is one of the teams that has adopted this strategy. Mathias Aas Rolid now opens up about his role in the Marcialonga, which paved the way for Andreas Nygaard’s victory.

“My job was to create hell from Canazei to Molina, and I did it well. I’ve received a lot of praise for it afterward”, says Mathias Aas Rolid to Langrenn.com, reflecting on what has been described as one of the best support performances in Marcialonga history.

In tough conditions marked by persistent rain and slow snow, the 28-year-old Heming skier perfectly cleared the way for Team Ragde Charge’s top competitors during Sunday morning’s Marcialonga race.

“We had heavy skis on the uphill stretches, so it was tough getting to Canazei. But after that, it was all about fighting through the pack and finding the right moment to push the pace”, says Rolid, who took initiative shortly after the course started descending into the valley.

Another Breakaway in the Marcialonga

Apart from Vebjørn Moen, no one else attempted to follow Rolid. Moen and Rolid worked together at the front until Predazzo, where Moen eventually had to give up.

“It would have been good to have two of us, but I needed to create a substantial gap, and he just wasn’t strong enough”, says Rolid with a shrug.

At that point, there were still 30 kilometers to go.

“For me, the task was simply to exhaust competitors from other teams. I knew Emil Persson was back there pulling the group, allowing Andreas (Nygaard) and Kasper (Stadaas) to conserve their energy”, he adds.

When you gained such a significant lead on Vebjørn Moen after Predazzo, and considering Runar Skaug Mathisen’s solo victory last year, did you think it might hold all the way to the finish?

“No. The reason I succeeded today was because I didn’t think about winning. My job was to expend as much energy as possible and stay in the lead until the final climb began. By then, I was supposed to have no energy left. So I never thought I’d win”, Rolid explains, adding:

“Maybe I should have thought that, but the thought honestly never crossed my mind. I wasn’t getting good time updates during the race, so I didn’t know how far back the others were or what was happening behind me.”

The article continues after the image.

Not His First Breakaway

Mathias Aas Rolid has a contract with Team Ragde Charge for the season. He reached an important milestone last summer when he was part of a breakaway with Novak, Stakston, and Amund Hoel during the Klarälvsloppet. On that occasion, the Norwegian didn’t quite make it to the finish in the lead. However, Rolid is very satisfied with his performance on Sunday.

Read More: “I have tried so many times!”

Was this the perfect race?

“I think I achieved 100% of my job. Being a 100% support rider and still finishing fourth is something I’d never dreamed of. It’s far beyond what I thought was realistic. I expected to be caught by a large group. I was completely drained”, he responds.

Andreas Nygaard entered the final climb with enough energy to deliver a dominant finish, adding the most coveted victory to his résumé – a dream he’d had for over ten years. Watching his teammate cross the finish line gave Rolid goosebumps.

“I’ve been sharing a room with Andreas this past week. I know how much this victory means to him. It’s an incredible achievement” , says Rolid, who joined Team Ragde Charge on a trial contract before the season.

As for his future, he hopes to have strengthened his position within the team.

“I have a contract for the rest of the season. This was the most important race of the year for us, and I did my job, so I hope to get it extended”, he finishes.

Read more skiing stories at ProXCskiing.com.