“Reistadløpet is not one of my favorites based on last year. It is a kind of race where you have to consider whether to ski classic or double pole. It depends a bit on the conditions too. Even if it is not one of my favorite races, I will go there with an open mind. Maybe it will feel easier this year,” Kati Roivas, Team Næringsbanken Stora Enso, says to Maastohiihto.com with a smile.

On Saturday, Reistadløpet will depend a lot on the weather.

“Last year, the conditions were quite slow. We did not go too hard from the start. The gaps started to create when we started the climb after the sprint. It certainly depends on what the weather looks like. You have to be alert when the climb starts. Not to be too far away at that point,” Roivas says and continues: 

“Of course, towards the end of the race, you should be able to push hard too, but there will already be some gaps in the women’s field after the first long climb.”

The weekend’s action culminates with Summit 2 Senja, a 68-kilometer race that starts in Bardufoss, Norway, and finishes in Finnsnes. The Summit 2 Senja course runs from the mountains to the fjords, also passing the municipalities of Sørreisa and Senja.

“There is a really steep climb towards the end. It is a brutal way to end the season, but it is the same for everyone,” Roivas says about the last race.

Heli Heiskanen, Slavia Pojišťovna Sport Team Z.S., said before Birkebeinerrennet that she was looking forward to the races on the season’s final weekend because they are among her favorites.

“Ascent! You get to do some classic striding,” Heiskanen says, who is also looking forward to the “rough but beautiful” landscape.

What will make the difference this weekend?

“On Saturday, I am sure the pace will be quite high at the beginning. Some will start with double poling, and skiers with kick wax will catch up on the first uphill. If you choose to double pole, you have to go hard from the start, and if you go with kick wax, you have to have a controlled and good pace distribution for the race, as there are some pretty tough climbs,” Heiskanen says.  

Heiskanen has had a challenging season in many aspects, which has also reflected in her expectations for the final weekend of the season:

“I am satisfied if I can finish in the top 15,” Heiskanen concludes.

Next up is Reistadløpet on April 1 and Summit 2 Senja on April 2. The events mark the 13th and 14th Ski Classics stages and the final weekend of Season XIV.

The Season XIV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events on 10 event weekends in 6 different countries. 

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, 36km 
• 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, Bedřichov, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 18, 2023 – Grönklitt Criterium, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
• Event 10: February 19, 2023 – Grönklitt ITT, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 12km
• 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, 68km

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