Three to four skiers are vying for a spot on the Tour de Ski team, including two national team members and one outsider. But whoever secures the spot may face a dilemma.

Norway can send up to ten athletes of each gender to the Tour de Ski. Following the first part of the season, it seems there is practically one spot left on the men’s team. This made the Scandinavian Cup season opener in Lillehammer over the weekend extremely important.

Looking at the results, there are now three to four clear candidates for the final Tour de Ski spot. These include Mattis Stenshagen from the private Team Swix, Håvard Moseby from the development national team, and Iver Tildheim Andersen from the Norwegian elite national team, all of whom have strong cases in the selection discussion.

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Strong Performances in Lillehammer

Stenshagen dominated Saturday’s classic race in Lillehammer with a convincing victory and finished second in Sunday’s skate race. Tildheim Andersen won the skate race on Sunday and placed fifth in the classic race on Saturday.

Moseby currently leads the Scandinavian Cup after finishing second on Saturday and third on Sunday. Additionally, he scored more sprint points than Stenshagen on Friday. Often, though not always, one of the Tour de Ski spots goes to the Scandinavian Cup leader.

“It was a goal to be leading the overall standings after this weekend, but I’m trying not to spend too much energy speculating about the Tour de Ski selection. Last year, when I led the Scandinavian Cup before Christmas, I thought I’d make the team, but I didn’t,” Stenshagen told Langrenn.com.

A Tough Decision for the Selected Skier

Ordinarily, skiers in Stenshagen’s position would jump at the chance to join the Tour de Ski team. However, this season the Tour de Ski overlaps with the Scandinavian Cup, with the final Tour weekend running parallel to the second round of the Scandinavian Cup.

The Scandinavian Cup leader in January earns a wildcard to the World Cup for the rest of the season, and the overall winner secures a spot in the opening World Cup events the following season.

Last year, Stenshagen prioritized the Scandinavian Cup over the World Cup and the test World Championships in Trondheim, leading the cup after January’s round and earning the World Cup wildcard.

Are you worried about missing out on the opportunities the Scandinavian Cup offers if you compete in the Tour de Ski?
“It’s something to consider, but I think I’d prioritize the Tour de Ski if given the chance. I believe the tour format suits me well, and I feel I could be competitive across all the stages.”

How do you think you’d handle the final climb in the Tour de Ski?
“Initially, I’d say terribly, but after racing fast in Lillehammer over the past two weekends, I think those hills are the closest thing to the Tour’s final climb in a regular race.”

The Tour de Ski offers multiple World Cup races in a short span, and World Cup results carry significant weight in selection decisions for the World Championships and further World Cup events. For Stenshagen, the Trondheim World Championships remain the ultimate goal.

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Paving the Way to the World Championships

“The World Championship spots are getting incredibly tight across most distances now, so I’m mainly focused on showcasing my potential. But there might be an open spot for the 10 km classic. That’s why it was crucial to win the classic race in Lillehammer this weekend. Now, it’s extremely important to perform well in the classic race at the Norwegian Championships in Gåsbu in January.”

Christmas Plans Unchanged

Regardless of the decision, the 28-year-old from Gausdal plans to spend Christmas quietly.

“It’ll be an ascetic life alone at the cabin on Skeikampen, with as little socializing and as much training as possible.”

The Norwegian Tour de Ski selection is expected to be announced shortly.