Team Mäenpää, the Finnish long distance ski team, has a skier living in Sweden. It’s Viktor Mäenpää who has trained for eight weeks at high altitude before the Visma Ski Classics new season. “I have invested quite a lot in high altitude training this year. We will see if it pays off,” the 26-year-old told Längd.se.

Viktor Mäenpää is from Jakobstad in Finland but moved to Luleå for studies and there he has remained.

“I have a wife and an apartment there and now work part-time at Serneke,” says Viktor.

How do you like Luleå?

“It’s good there, I have good skiing conditions. I have no plans to move from there.”

How has the training in the pre-season been?

“I think it was good. The plan I set in May has worked well with all training camps and everything. I have stayed healthy and injury free so I am happy with that.”

Viktor has been around 30th place in several races and has a 24th place from the Vasaloppet 2020. The best place in Visma Ski Classics was the 15th place at Jizerska 2019.

What are your goals this season? Is it about placements or how you can complete the races?

“It is more the performance that drives me, no placement goals directly. I’m always a pretty offensive skier if I have a good day. I hope to be able to continue like this,” says Viktor.

What does your everyday life look like?

“I work at Serneke, about 50 percent when I am at home and a little less when I am at a training camp. I work as a calculation engineer so I have the opportunity to take the job with me. Serneke has done very well for me. They know what it’s about and want me to invest now and when I’m done with skiing I have time to work.

What is your training philosophy?

“I started investing quite late in skiing, when I was about 19 years old. In this way, the focus has been more like a traditional skier, to increase oxygen uptake and to even have the opportunity to participate in the end of a competition. In recent years, there has been a bit more long distance training with more longer workouts, but it is still important to focus on improving oxygen uptake.

“This year I have invested quite a lot in high-altitude training. It has been eight weeks at most during the pre-season. We’ll see if it pays off.”

Last season, Team Mäenpää joined Team Nordic Athlete, but after the season, it became Team Mäenpää again for Viktor, where he now continues to have Hans and Hannes Mäenpää as teammates. New skiers this winter are Christoffer Lindvall, Anne Kyllönen and Julia Häger.

What is it like to have a family team?

“We get along well together and we have fun when we are out. It is the most important. It’s also fun to bring in some other skiers to the team. There is great interest from several skiers in Finland to ski the races in the Nordics at the end of the season after the Olympics.

Anne Kyllönen was supposed to race for Team Mäenpää at the Premiere in Orsa Grönklitt, but that will not happen. Why?

“She was selected for the Tour de Ski, so she will unfortunately not come, because she wanted to prepare at a high altitude for the Tour”, says Viktor.

What do you think about the Pro Team Tempo on Saturday?

“It will be tight. Unfortunately we only have one woman, but it will be fun anyway and a good way to start the season and feel where you stand.

Visma Ski Classics Season XII starts tomorrow, become a Pro XC Skiing member and have access to SC Play which streams all Pro Tour events!