He took a medal in the relay at the U23 World Championships and has been ranked 23rd in the World Cup this season. On Saturday, Truls Gisselman will debut in Ski Classics as a teammate to Petter Northug in Team Janteloppet. “I got quite a few tips from Alvar Myhlback on the way home from Planica,” says Gisselman.

The 22-year-old Swedish Truls Gisselman can look back on a fine season. He was on the podium at the Swedish premiere in Gällivare, secured a spot in the Tour de Ski, and this past weekend skied a leg in the Swedish team that took bronze in the relay at the U23 World Championships in Planica. Now, he will debut at Ski Classics.

“It’s always nice to succeed as part of a team. Then, I had higher hopes for the individual races. In the mass start, the conditions were very special, and ‘the skis died’ about halfway. In the 10km race with individual start, I chose to double pole. It was firm when we tested it, but after one lap, it turned extremely soft. But I think despite how it turned out, it was the right decision to double pole; if I was to take a medal, that was the way to get there,” says Gisselman to Langd.se.

This coming weekend, he will make his debut in Ski Classics. He does so in Petter Northug’s Pro Team, Team Janteloppet:

“We had decided before the season that I would compete in five races for the team this season. It will be the two races in Orsa Grönklitt, Reistadløpet, Summit 2 Senja, and Janteloppet. I’m really looking forward to it. Mass starts and longer races, especially in classic style, have always traditionally been a strength of mine. I’ve been around tenth place at Alliansloppet twice, but that’s roller skiing, so I don’t really know what to expect. Then, there’s the risk that I’ll have to start quite far back in the field,” says Gisselman.

And on the way home from the competitions in Planica, he made sure to gather information on preparing for long-distance races – this from Alvar Myhlback:

“I didn’t think I would ask a 17-year-old how to train for a race. But in this case, it’s just about absorbing all the knowledge. He has an enormous amount of experience despite his young age,” says Gisselman.

Are you aiming to compete in Vasaloppet as well?

“No, that weekend, there’s both the World Cup in Lahti and the Scandinavian Cup in Hommelvik. As it looks now, I’m leaning towards competing in the Scandinavian Cup. Those competitions will be important for securing a spot in the World Cup races afterward in Drammen, Holmenkollen, and Falun. I’ve previously gotten into good shape by competing in, for example, the Swedish Championships 50km and the Holmenkollen 50km, so I hope that will be the case after this weekend, too. Plus, I want to perform well both for myself and for the team,” concludes Gisselman.

Next are Grönklitt Classic on Saturday, February 17, and Grönklitt ITT on Sunday, February 18, 2024. The Pro Tour events mark the ninth and tenth Ski Classics Pro Tour stages of Season XV.

Ski Classics Pro Tour Season XV (2023/2024)

• Event 1: December 9, 2023 – Bad Gastein PTT, Austria, 13km
• Event 2: December 10, 2023 – Bad Gastein Criterium, Austria, 36km
• Event 3: December 16, 2023 – La Venosta Criterium, Italy, 35km 
• Event 4: December 17, 2023 – La Venosta ITT, Italy, 10km
• Event 5: January 13, 2024 – 3 Zinnen Ski Marathon, Italy, 62km
• Event 6: January 20, 2024 – Engadin La Diagonela, Switzerland, 55km
• Event 7: January 28, 2024 – Marcialonga, Italy, 70km
• Event 8: February 11, 2024 – Jizerská50, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 17, 2024 – Grönklitt Classic, Sweden, 60km
• Event 10: February 18, 2024 – Grönklitt ITT, Sweden, 13km
• Event 11: March 3, 2024 – Vasaloppet, Sweden, 90km
• Event 12: March 16, 2024 – Birkebeinerrennet, Norway, 54km
• Event 13: April 6, 2024 – Reistadløpet, Norway, 50km
• Event 14: April 7, 2024 – Summit 2 Senja, Norway, 60km
• Event 15: April 13, 2024 – Ski Classics Grand Finale – Janteloppet, Norway, 100km

More information about the Ski Classics Pro Tour can be found at skiclassics.com