The new year has started, and the Visma Ski Classics Season XII resumes action with this Saturday’s Pustertaler Ski Marathon and Sunday’s Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge.

The 62-kilometer Pustertaler Ski Marathon is the first event of the four-weekend five-races stretch that ends with Marcialonga, in Italy, on January 30. The Pro Teams and their athletes have had a chance to prepare and train for the demanding “January Madness” over the Christmas and New Year break, and they are now eager to show the results of their labor.

Self-titled the longest and hardest ski race in the 3 Zinnen Dolomites, Pustertaler Ski Marathon, on Saturday, January 8, offers a challenging course and breath-taking scenery.

On Sunday, January 9, the 32-kilometer uphill race Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge promises to be a real climb competition, with the Climb checkpoint and finish line almost 2000 meters above sea level, high up in the magnificent Dolomites area.

At the women’s Pustertaler Ski Marathon competition, it seems that we have three good candidates. It will be last race’s winner Astrid Øyre Slind, Team Koteng Eidissen, against Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Lina Korsgren, Team Ramudden. However, in the 4th place last race, Ida Dahl, Team Ramudden, will fight back very hard.

The same goes for the Sunday women’s uphill race. Astrid Øyre Slind, Team Koteng Eidissen, is one of the favorites, after dropping her competitors on the brutal alpine hill and cruising to the finish line, winning the Orsa Grönklitt Individual Prologue. And of course, we should again expect to see a battle in the same vein as Saturday’s race, with Lina Korsgren and Ida Dahl, from Team Ramudden, and Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 Ski Team, fighting for the top places.

It will be interesting to see which of these athletes will use kick-wax, if any, and who is brave enough to double-pole through the challenging course.

For Saturday’s race, Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, who showed explosive power on the finish line, winning the Orsa Grönklitt Individual Prologue, is one of the men’s favorites for the Pustertaler Ski Marathon, despite recovering from a cold.

In addition, we can anticipate some great performances from Ermil Vokuev, Russian Winter Team, Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, and Axel Jutterström, Team Eksjöhus, who is ready to defend his Youth bib.

On Sunday, for Prato Piazza Mountain Challenger men’s race, Ermil Vokuev, Russian Winter Team, Climb bib holder, and with an impressive tactic at Orsa Grönklitt, is one of the favorites. We also can expect a good fight for top places from Martin Johnsrud Sundby, Team Koteng Eidissen, Oskar Kardin, Team Ragde Charge, and the defending Yellow bib Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team.

THE FACTS

PUSTERTALER SKI MARATHON

• Location: Sexten, Italy
• Date: Saturday, January 8
• Start Time: Women 8:30 CET / Men 8:15 CET
• Distance: 62km Classic Technique
• Visma Ski Classics Sprint: Nordic Arena Toblach – 21km
• Visma Ski Classics Climb: Cimabanche – 39km

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PRATO PIAZZA MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE

• Location: Niederdorf, Italy
• Date: Sunday, January 9
• Start Time: Women 9:35 CET / Men 9:00 CET
• Distance: 32km Classic Technique
• Visma Ski Classics Sprint: Nordic Arena Toblach – 8km
• Visma Ski Classics Climb: Prato Piazza – 32km

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