The team that won the Ski Classics Pro Team competition Season XV by a solid margin has lost its super wax tech. On Tuesday morning, it was confirmed on social media that wax tech Luca Angelini was leaving Team Eksjöhus. 

Angelini was responsible for the skis of Magni Smedås, Kati Roivas, Eirik Sverdrup Augdal, and the remaining athletes on the Swedish Pro Team.

Also Read: The complete Pro Team Ranking Season XV

“Skis are very important to us, and without good skis, you don’t stand a chance of performing at this level,” says Eksjöhus Pro Team Director Espen Träldal to Langrenn.com.

He is now looking for a new waxing manager for the coming season. This winter, the waxing team has consisted of super wax tech Angelini, another wax tech, two test skiers, the Pro Team Director himself, and head coach Marthe Kristoffersen, who helped with testing. 

“We’re in dialogue with several people and are working on different solutions now, so we hope to have a new wax team in place,” says Träldal.  

At the same time, the Pro Team Director understands the outgoing wax tech’s decision. 

“It’s sad, of course, but a lot needs to be in place to make a job like this work. Traveling so much and being away from your family for so long is special. It can be challenging for those with young children.” 

At the same time, Träldal emphasizes that it’s not about any conflict. 

“The fact that he’s stepping down now is a personal choice. It has nothing to do with him or the quality of his work.”

You’ve had excellent skis this season, so what does it mean for you to lose your waxing manager now?

“It means that we must find a new one. We’ve had good skis on some events, but there have also been races where we haven’t done as well, such as Vasaloppet.”

How difficult is it to find good wax techs?

“The sport is in a special situation now, where we’ve moved from fluor to fluor-free. This has shown that other aspects are even more important, such as finding the right skis and structure for the different conditions. We’re keen to be forward-thinking and innovative, and we devote a lot of resources to the waxing,” says Träldal, and continues: 

“We have to be good at picking skis for the skiers and communicating with the factory to get the equipment our skiers need.” 

Big ambitions

This winter, Team Eksjöhus has made tremendous progress. The Swedish Pro Team won the Ski Classics Pro Team competition by almost 600 points to the following Pro Team, up from fourth place overall Season XIV. 

The team’s skiers finished second, third, and fourth place overall in the women’s side, as well as fourth and sixth place in the men’s field, won the Youth bib competition, and second place in the men’s class. 

For the coming season, the Pro Team Director hopes that the two athletes who dominated the Youth competition during Season XV will take new steps this year and fight for the Yellow bib next winter. 

Read More: How much did Ski Classics Pro Team athletes earn in prize money?

Furthermore, Team Eksjöhus has signed two promising young skiers, Jeremy Royer and Louise Lindström, and is continuing the youth project Eksjöhus Academy.

Read more: French Pro Team athlete joins Team Eksjöhus