“For me, it’s about training a lot. Especially focusing more on the fall than early summer,” says Max Novak, who is getting ready for the Ski Classics Challengers event Båstad-Mölle.

On Saturday, September 14, the starting gun will go off for this year’s edition of Båstad-Mölle. Among the participants will be the Swedish Pro Team star Max Novak, who has experience from the race’s very first edition.

“I was there the very first year. We did 72km back then, and without the final hill,” says Novak to Langd.se, continuing:

“The current course, over 80km, feels really fun. You’ve heard much about the final hill, and the course profile reminds me of Marcialonga.”

Max Novak, Team Aker Dæhlie, who finished in 39th place at Alliansloppet, nearly 7 minutes behind the winner Edvin Anger, hopes for revenge on the Bjäre Peninsula.

“I didn’t feel great last weekend and need to work on my form,” says Novak, adding that he is testing a slightly different approach for this year’s season:

“The preseason is long, and I’m actually not training so intensely right now. My goal is to feel fresher when the season kicks off this year. My strategy is to train a lot, but with a different distribution—less focus early in the summer and more concentrated training during the fall.”

“I’ve thought a lot about this, and I tried something similar last year, but then I had quite a bit of trouble with the skis.”

Also Read: Edvin Anger dominates Challengers Alliansloppet 2024

You have strong opponents, including Thomas Gifstad and Alfred Buskqvist. Who do you see as your biggest competitor?

“It’s always fun with a sprint, especially uphill. I was strong uphill last season, especially at the end.”

So, who would you most like to beat in a sprint?

“A sprint showdown against Alfred Buskqvist could be fascinating. I train a lot of roller skiing with Alfred, and he always feels strong,” Novak notes.

Several skiers have previously testified to the race’s fantastic scenery. Novak, who trains a lot in the area around the Bjäre Peninsula, adds:

“It’s very beautiful, so it’s definitely something I’m looking forward to.”

Read More: Countdown to the Challengers event Båstad-Mölle 2024 – Register now!

Värnamorullen – Ski Classics Challengers

Novak performed well on Saturday, August 31, 2024, at the Ski Classics Challengers event Värnamorullen in Sweden.

There, the Team Aker Dæhlie athlete was at the front in a small leading group, finished 34.0 seconds behind the winner, and completed the podium in the third position.

Read More: Myhlback and Larsson winners of Värnamoullen 2024

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