Surprisingly, pre-race favorite Emilie Fleten was left behind right from the start. By the time she reached Evertsberg, she was almost seven minutes behind Stina Nilsson and continued to lose ground to the dominant Vasaloppet winner.

It was a strange sight to see the former Vasaloppet champion from 2023 and 2024 fall so far behind the front of the race. Before the start, Fleten appeared calm and composed.

Britta Johansson Norgren said in SVT’s broadcast that Fleten had a chance for a third consecutive victory and that it was likely. But unfortunately, it was not Fleten’s day. Team Ramudden’s Pro Team Directors, Lina and Gustaf Korsgren, reported that Fleten’s skis were not competitive during the race.

“Unfortunately, we missed the mark with Emilie’s skis,” they relayed in SVT’s broadcast, according to Langd.se.

Fleten, who had finished sixth in Tjejvasan, was seeking redemption in the biggest ski race of the year, but she had to accept defeat. After passing the checkpoint in Oxberg, the split time confirmed the inevitable—Fleten was nine minutes and thirty-eight seconds behind Stina Nilsson. A gap that was nearly impossible to close for the Norwegian.

Fleten’s teammate Julie Kvale Støstad also had a tough day on the course. By the time she reached Evertsberg, about halfway through the race, she was in 14th place and more than 12 minutes behind Stina Nilsson.

In the end, Emilie Fleten finished in fourth place.

Read More: Alvar Myhlback and Stina Nilsson win the 101st edition of Vasaloppet

 Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVI (2024/2025)

Next up is Birkebeinerrennet on Saturday, March 15. The 54km event marks the eleventh Ski Classics stage and another Grand Classics event, Season XVI.

Season XVI of the Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events across 10 event weekends in 6 countries. It started in Bad Gastein, Austria, on December 13, 2024, with the Pro Team Presentation and ends in Finnsnes, Norway, with the Ski Classics Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja on March 30, 2025.

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XVI (2024/2025)

• Event 0: Friday, December 13, 2024 –Ski Classics Pro Team Presentation XVI – Bad Gastein, Austria
• Event 1: Saturday, December 14, 2024 – Bad Gastein ITT – Sportgastein, Austria, 7km
• Event 2: Sunday, December 15, 2024 – Bad Gastein Criterium – Sportgastein, Austria, 36km
• Event 3: Saturday, January 11, 2025 – 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon – Sexten, Italy, 60km
• Event 4: Sunday, January 12, 2025 – La Venosta ITT Kapron-Melago – Val Venosta, Italy, 11km
• Event 5: Saturday, January 18, 2025 – Engadin La Diagonela – Pontresina-Zuoz, Switzerland, 43km
• Event 6: Sunday, January 26, 2025 – Marcialonga – Trentino, Italy, 70km
• Event 7: Sunday, February 9, 2025 – Jizerská50 – Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 8: Saturday, February 15, 2025 – Grönklitt Criterium 61 – Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 61km
• Event 9: Sunday, February 16, 2025 – Grönklitt ITT – Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 13km
• Event 10: Sunday, March 2, 2025 – Vasaloppet – Sälen-Mora, Sweden, 90km
• Event 11: Saturday, March 15, 2025 – Birkebeinerrennet – Rena-Lillehammer, Norway, 54km
• Event 12: Saturday, March 22, 2025 – Marcialonga Bodø – Bodø, Norway, 50km
• Event 13: Saturday, March 29, 2025 – Reistadløpet – Setermoen-Bardufoss, Norway, 46km
• Event 14: Sunday, March 30, 2025 – Grand Finale Summit 2 Senja – Bardufoss-Finnsnes, Norway, 60km

More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour can be found at skiclassics.com

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