The Ski Classics Pro Teams are now registered for the upcoming  Season XIV. Thirty-five Pro Teams have been granted a license for the Ski Classics Season XIV, starting in Bad Gastein, Austria, on December 10, 2022. We start the Pro Teams presentation with Team Northug Crucible, ranking 35.

The comeback king of the season is, without a doubt, Petter Northug, who is one of the greatest cross-country ski legends from Norway. He won a total of 13 World Championships and two Winter Olympic gold medals, with 20 medals overall. He has announced his serious comeback with Team Northug Crucible aiming to be on the top of Ski Classics as soon as possible. This season, he will be exploring and scouting the scene with some good results in mind, but he is quite adamant about succeeding well after his rookie season.

Northug has built a team around him, which will grow as time goes on. Right now, four other athletes are supporting him. Pål Trøan Aune and his younger brother, Even Northug, are the other male skier on this team. Pål has participated in some World Cup and Scandinavian Cup races. Even has competed in U23 World Championships and World Cups, with a bronze medal at the U23 Worlds sprint and a win at the Dresden World Cup team sprint during the 2021/2022 season. Both athletes were competing mainly in sprint, but long-distance skiing is still new territory for them.

The two female skiers under Northug’s banner are Johanne Heimdal and Ine Løvlien. The former has not raced much in recent years, but she finished 23^rd in the 10 km classic race at the National Championships in 2019. The latter has been a bit more active than her teammate, and she skied from Rena to Lillehammer as the 40^th fastest lady at Birkebeinerrennet last winter. All eyes are naturally on Mr. Northug and his adventures in the world of long-distance skiing. He will certainly do well in some races, but it is not realistic to expect him to conquer the field in the same vein as he did in his prime. However, if he stays focused and determined, he will be a true force to be reckoned with in the future. His team will be fortified later, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if some great names were to join his gang. Maybe even this season, it remains to be seen.

Team Northug Crucible

• Country: Norway
• Pro Team Director: Kristin Tomasson
• Pro Team Ranking: 35
  

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