The biggest, strongest and best-funded team on the Pro Team circuit goes all in for Vasaloppet: anything short of victory is a failure.

“We’re aiming high, but there’s only one thing that counts in Vasaloppet: Victory. Everything else is a failure for us,” says Jørgen Aukland, team manager in Ragde Charge.

Aukland is extremely optimistic on behalf of his team prior to Vasaloppet on Sunday.

The team will field six, maybe seven, men for the 90-kilometer classic event from Sälen to Mora on Sunday, March 6: Kasper Stadaas, Andreas Nygaard, Joar Thele, Karstein Johaug and Johan Hoel, as well as super veteran and road captain Anders Aukland.

Additionally, Oskar Kardin will be back on the start line, if his shoulder injury will allow. Kardin was hit by a car during a workout in January. He got away from the accident without permanent damage, but has only been able to do since then, but there are many indications that he can make a comeback to the season highlight. 

“We have never had such a strong men’s team, with so many racers who are so fast and so fit. Our racers have trained with the Vasaloppet in mind since May, and specifically used the time and races since Marcialonga to prepare for Vasaloppet, says Aukland.

At the same time, the team manager knows that it takes a lot to win Vasaloppet. 

“It is extremely difficult to win Vasaloppet. You have to nail everything just perfectly: the peaking plan, picking the right skis and grinds, feed stations, and fueling throughout the race…  But we have done a very good job so far, and hope to determine how the race develops on Sunday,” says Aukland.

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What makes you so sure that you will be fighting for the victory? 
“We perform well as a team, and we race as a team. The most important thing is that one of us wins, and the guys are willing to sacrifice for each other. There we now have two clear candidates for the victory: Kasper Stadaas and Andreas Nygaard. They are the ones who have won races for us this year, they are the team main captains in Vasaloppet, and they are the ones we race for on Sunday,” says Aukland.

Who do you consider your toughest competitors? 
“There are only two. Emil Persson is probably by far the strongest competitor of our two. He has not yet won Vasaloppet, but he won the long-distance series overall last year, and he has been racing well lately. This was obvious in Tartu just two weeks ago. The other is Tord Asle Gjerdalen. He won Vasaloppet last year, and will probably be tough this year as well,” says Aukland, and continues: 

“These are the two guys we have to be aware of. They will probably try to drop our guys far before the race approaches Mora, because there are very few who want to have Andreas or Kasper on their tails toward the end of the race. Both Andreas and Kasper are super strong and have a killer sprint finish, even at the end of very long races. And what Andreas pulls off on hills, says a lot.”

Furthermore, Aukland points out that the distance is an advantage for Nygård. “Andreas only gets better and stronger the longer the race gets. So, when the race time increase from two to three hours to up to four hours or more, he really shines. Andreas never bonks.”

What role does Anders Aukland have for the team in the Vasaloppet? 
“Anders has trained a lot this winter and trained well, and based on his performance at the Tartu a week and a half ago where he was fifth, his fitness is where it should be. Anders is extremely experienced, and if he manages to stay in the lead with 30 kilometers to go left, then he will probably be high on the results list.

Do you see any outsiders to the victory and the podium? 
“No.”

Vasaloppet is the next Visma Ski Classics event. The 90-kilometer classic race takes place in Sweden on March 6, 2022.

VASALOPPET 

• Date: Sunday, March 6
• Place: Sälen-Mora, Sweden
• Distance: 90km Classic Technique
• Start Times: 8:00 CET Women & Men

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