Astrid Øyre Slind won Sunday’s Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge, but she also aims for the World Championships in Planica. Now Astrid chose to miss one of the Grand Classics to aim for the World Championships.

Team Aker Dæhlie’s Astrid Øyre Slind impressed during the start of the winter, both in Ski Classics and the World Cup. At the Tour de Ski, she finished seventh overall, and has stated her goal of joining the Norwegian World Championships team, mainly for the 30km race.

On Sunday, January 29, Marcialonga, one of the four Grand Classics events, will be held in Italy, and Astrid Øyre Slind will not be on the starting line: 

“I had to make a tough decision not to go to Marcialonga. It’s one of the biggest races and a race I really want to win. But you don’t get that many chances during a career to ski a World Championships, so that’s why I made this decision,” says Astrid Øyre Slind, who will start at the World Cup races in Les Rousses, France, which will be held the same weekend as Marcialonga:

“We have many strong ladies in the Norwegian team, so it will be very important to have a good race and continue to show good form to take place in the World Championships team,” says Øyre Slind, who did not start on Saturday’s Pustertaler Ski Marathon, after feeling tired from Tour de Ski, but lined up for the start at Sunday’s Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge and won, in a big duel with Team Ramudden’s Emilie Fleten:

“Prato (Piazza Mountain Challenge) is a great race that I know suits me well and that I really wanted to win. I’m glad I succeeded. Then it was clearly an advantage compared to the others not to have started the 62km the day before,” says Øyre Slind during the pre-event interviews on Wednesday. 

The upcoming Ski Classics Pro Tour event is Engadin La Diagonela, a 48km classic technique event in Switzerland on January 21.

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, 40km 
• 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, Bedrichov, Czech Republic, 50km
• Event 9: February 18, 2023 – Grönklitt Criterium, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 50km
• Event 10: February 19, 2023 – Grönklitt ITT, Orsa Grönklitt, Sweden, 15km
• 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, 67km

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

As a member of ProXCskiing.com, you get full access to all content on the site and live streaming of Ski Classics Pro Tour events with English commentaries.

When you become part of one of the world’s leading XC ski communities, you will receive many exclusive offers all year round. 

Register HERE as a Member.