On Sunday, April 2, the brand-new Ski Classics Finale Summit 2 Senja takes place as the 14th and final event of Season XIV, where all the Pro Team athletes and their Pro Teams will be present to celebrate the end of the season.

The 68-kilometer race starts in Bardufoss and ends in Finnsnes, passing through fantastic landscapes. Summit 2 Senja is a race from the mountains to the fjords involving two more municipalities, Sørreisa and Senja.

The main challenge of this race will be the climb to Magdaskaret, where skiers will try to position themselves to fight for a good position at the top of the climb. After that, it will be a technical descent to the finish line.

Despite its challenging climbing sections, the probabilities lie on those who do not use kick wax because the big climb comes late in the race. ProXCskiing analyzed who are the favorites to win Summit 2 Senja.

The Favorite Male Athletes To Win Summit 2 Senja

Johan Hoel, Team Ragde Charge, is one of the top contenders for the first edition of Summit 2 Senja. As said during the race’s interviews earlier this week, if someone would design a racecourse for Johan Hoel, this would be it. 

It is a long race, but with some long uphill, how the Norwegian Pro Tour athlete likes it. After a second place in Birkebeinerrennet, Hoel is in good shape.

Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, is already the Yellow bib Champion and is also chasing the Climb bib. This race might be his chance to achieve that goal. Moreover, the Swedish Pro Tour athlete has shown he is highly versatile all season. Persson is strong on uphill and flat parts, and can also be fast going downhill, so this course suits him well.

During the pre-event interview, Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge, said he is feeling strong, and the victory at Birkebeinerrennet felt good. There is a strong probability that Nygaard wants to conquer his second victory of the season, especially because this race is close to his hometown, Tromsø.

Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Team XPND Fuel, also comes to mind when thinking about Summit 2 Senja. The Norwegian skier is currently placed in the 3rd position in the Climb bib competition, and, just like Johan Hoel, the course of the race is suitable for his characteristics. Racecourses with long distances and long uphill sections are ideal for Tord Asle.

Read More: Ski Classics Standings Ahead Of Summit 2 Senja

The Favorite Female Athletes To Win Summit 2 Senja

Astrid Øyre Slind, Team Aker Dæhlie, is the favorite Pro Tour athlete to win this race. Now that the races at the World Cup are over, Astrid is focused on winning more races at the Ski Classics Pro Tour, like she did yesterday at Reistadløpet. 

Also Read: Astrid Øyre Slind and Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget Shine At Reistadløpet 2023

That could also be seen two weeks ago when she was focused on doing Birkebeinerrennet and managed to get an impressive victory. This time, Astrid can use her double-poling power to climb faster than her competitors.

Ida Dahl, Team Engcon, is fighting for the Yellow bib competition, so her having a good result at this event is essential. The Swedish Pro Tour athlete has been strong throughout the season, winning the other two-event weekends.

Moreover, Ida finished Birkebeinerrennet in 2nd place, showing her strong shape and uphill power, which she will need this Sunday after a disappointing result at Reistadløpet yesterday.

Magi Smedås, Team Eksjöhus, is the athlete fighting for the Yellow bib, just one point behind Dahl. And, just like Ida, she finished Birkebeinerrennet on the podium, showing that she feels good on hilly courses, and yesterday finished in the 4th position. She had also demonstrated through the season that she performs well in races with long climbs at the end, like when she won Marcialonga.

Karolina Hedenström, Lager 157 Ski Team, is also a skier to watch. This young Swedish skier has performed well on races with steep uphill sections, and she is leading the Youth competition. Also, as a young athlete, she is well-positioned in the Yellow bib competition. Now that the season’s last race has arrived, Karolina might use her strength and young age to surprise everyone with a podium place.

The Season XIV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consists of 14 events on 10 event weekends in 6 different countries. 

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, 36km 
• 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, 12km
• 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, 68km

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

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