Team Koteng Eidissen is a new team in Visma Ski Classics this year after the long-distance skiing team Team Koteng merged with Team Eidissen, made by Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Niklas Dyrhaug. Until now, the team has consisted of Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Astrid Øyre Slind, Chris Jespersen and Torleif Syrstad. Niklas Dyrhaug, who was part of the team, resigned earlier this autumn. Silje Øyre Slind is intended for a role in most races after the New Year if she does not manage to qualify for the Olympics.

With only four skiers in the team, team leaders Bernhard Rønning and Tore Bjørseth Berdal have thus been looking for reinforcements. Just over a week ago, it became clear that Thomas Bucher-Johannesen will race for the team, and now they have signed three more skiers.

This winter, both Kari Øyre Slind, Mattis Stenshagen and Mikael Gunnulfsen will go long distance for Team Koteng Eidissen.

Kari Øyre Slind broke both legs after a fall in a climbing wall earlier this year. Due to that, she has problems with the stability of her ankles and has also trained a lot of double poling in the season run-up, then the relatively simple technical trails and double poling in Visma Ski Classics should fit her well.

Mattis Stenshagen has previously been a year in the sprint national team and has started a promising season after a couple of heavier years. Mikael Gunnulfsen has, like Kari Øyre Slind, broken his leg. For Gunnulfsen’s part, the injury occurred during a collision on the ski tracks in Lillehammer in December 2020. Gunnulfsen has a victory in Visma Ski Classics from before, when in 2019 he won the Reistadløpet.

“We have been on a bit of a skier hunt, especially after Niklas gave up, we have been searching for reinforcements. Now we have signed three skiers who we are very happy with and now we have acquired a strong team before the season starts. The goal is victory in the team competition, we have talked about this for many years that we will succeed,” says team manager Bernhard Rønning to Langrenn.com.

Are these signings something you have worked on over time?

“Yes, it is, for Kari’s part it has been a bit in the air since both Silje and Astrid (Kari’s siblings) are already racing with us. We have also had contact with Gunnulfsen over time, but it has been the Olympics that have been the main focus. Now the Olympic dream is not quite out yet, but Mikael wants to try his hand at long-distance skiing as well.”

If the skiers are taken out to the World Cup before or after the Olympics, are you prepared to let them go?

“We are ready that we can lose some skiers some weekends, now we have such a large and solid team that we will handle it well.”

Some skiers you have extra faith in?

“I have faith in the whole gang and believe that all our skiers can help shape the top of the results lists. If I have to point one out, I think Chris Jespersen has seemed very strong lately. Martin is of course a very good skier. We’ll bite off.”

What is the biggest challenge for the allround skiers who enter the long-distance races?

“History has shown that it is not so easy to get straight into the long-distance circus and dominate, no matter who you are. None of the skiers we are recruiting now are all-in on long distances, so we may not expect victories, at least not in the most specialized long-distance races such as Marcialonga and Vasaloppet. But there are other races that are more hilly where they will assert themselves. We have signed the skiers because we believe that they can achieve good results.”

The skiers who are signed belong to Team Telemark, Team AF Håndverk and Team Elon Innlandet.

Have there been any problems with getting the skiers free from their obligations to their respective allround teams?

“There has been a dialogue, each skier with their team. We must respect that they are linked to other teams, and we must tread carefully and agree together. But it is ultimately the skiers who decide.”

Now you have used up nine of the ten places you have available. Will there be any more signings at the last minute?

“In that case, it will not be until after the Olympics, but then I will not rule anything out. If it fits and we see that it benefits the team, it can happen quickly.”

“Now the whole team is looking forward to starting the season in Orsa. This is going to be very exciting,” Rønning concludes.

The start of the season in Visma Ski Classics kicks off in Orsa Grönklitt next weekend. On Saturday there is a Pro Team Tempo and on Sunday there is an Individual Prologue.