During Season XV, he dominated Vasaloppet and Janteloppet, was the talk of the season, and the hottest name in the transfer market. But Syrstad is no “one-hit wonder.”

During Season XV, he dominated Vasaloppet and Janteloppet, was the talk of the season, and the hottest name in the transfer market. But Syrstad is no “one-hit wonder.”

After his insane solo win at Vasaloppet and an equally dominant victory at Janteloppet, Torleif Syrstad was last year’s biggest story and the most sought-after skier in the transfer market. This year, it’s been quieter around the 30-year-old from Norway.

In addition to his wins at the 2024 Vasaloppet and Janteloppet, he finished in the top 10 four more times and ended up 11th overall in Ski Classics last year.
This winter, during Season XVI, he was second at Jizerská50 and Grönklitt ITT, landed in the top 10 four more times, and finished eighth overall in Ski Classics.

Syrstad has a simple explanation for why the two seasons look so different on paper:

“Last year, I won two races that were 90km long with slow snow conditions. This year, there were no races like that.”

Also read – Torleif Syrstad: “I finally executed a perfect ski race!”

The story continues below.

Still burns and motivates

Even though Syrstad is reasonably happy with his season, and his training data is just as strong as last season’s, there are two things that both gnaw at him and drive him.

The first is Vasaloppet.

“Vasaloppet is without a doubt the biggest and nicest race to win. It’s more important than all the other races combined. And I didn’t manage to win it this year,” he says to Langrenn.com, and adds:

“I want to win Vasaloppet again. That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever done. And next time, I want to enjoy the victory a bit more, not rush back to the work routine, but really savor the moment.”

Because when Syrstad won Vasaloppet last year, he barely had time for a shower and the prize ceremony before he had to jump in the car and be ready to go to work at 8:00 AM the next morning. He had to complete his internship as a physiotherapist, working 100% full-time with no flexibility.

The second thing is the overall standings.

“I also want to become a more complete skier, one who performs well overall. I was really impressed by what my teammates achieved with a triple podium in the overall Ski Classics standings. So next year, I hope to be right up there, fighting for the overall title.”

Pushed the limits hard

When Syrstad finished his internship last August, he went all in. With his newfound freedom and flexibility, he could train almost as much as he wanted and whenever he wanted.

“If you want to take the next step, you must dare to challenge yourself. So last year, I experimented by doing a huge training volume and a lot of intensity. In September and October, I trained 130 to 140 hours per month, then 70 hours in November,” he says.

Wants to push smarter

Looking back, Syrstad sees that it might have been a bit too much of a good thing.

“When I trained the most, I didn’t get the optimal adaptation. And when I trained very little in November, that wasn’t optimal either. I won’t say it didn’t work—I absorbed the training well. But I don’t think it was the best way to go, and I can’t do that again if I want to level up.”

Now, Syrstad plans to train even more hours, but structure it differently.

“I’m probably one of those who trains the most, and that’s one of my strengths. But I’ll probably aim for a program with more consistency in training volume. It’s about finding out how much you can consistently handle,” he says, indicating that he’ll aim for 110 to 115 hours per month.

“I don’t regret doing it, because it’s made me more clearly see where my weaknesses are. And that motivates me.”

What weaknesses have you identified?

“I need to work on pace changes during races, and I need to improve my finishing ability. Speed is another factor, but once you’re past 30, it’s hard to improve that significantly without investing a lot of effort. It’s better to focus on the low-hanging fruit.”

What are the low-hanging fruits for you in this context?

“There are several things I’m looking at, but I haven’t nailed down exactly which ones I’ll go after. Or… I just don’t want to reveal them yet.”

Watch the RAW CUT interview with Torleif Syrstad

Are you interested in Ski Classics and long-distance skiing? Click HERE and read more about it.

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