This weekend, the legendary skier Anders Aukland will perform his two last races as a professional skier. During the Reistadløpet & Summit 2 Senja pre-events interviews, Aukland’s teammate Andreas Nygaard expressed about his importance to the sport.

“He has been super important. Anders Aukland is the definition of long-distance skiing. I have had the honor of being in the same team as him for nine years, and he has been an amazing machine, a good friend, and a role model in every aspect,” says Nygaard.

Anders Aukland has won almost all of the races on the Ski Classics calendar, and his palmarès are impressive. 

“Hopefully, he will still be around with the team,” says Nygaard.

Watch Here: Reistadløpet & Summit 2 Senja: Pre-Events Interviews

Andreas was asked about what possibly makes Aukland such a good skier. The Norwegian Pro Tour athlete believes that there are several reasons. 

“Genetics, for sure. But his lifestyle and environment while growing up with his parents and brother have also been an important factor.”

But Nygaard also states that Aukland is very motivated, and most importantly, he has found a lot of happiness and joy in the cross-country skiing lifestyle.

“He is one-of-a-kind. I don’t think we will see anyone like him in the future,” Nygaard says.

Andreas Nygaard Dominated The Field During Birkebeinerrennet

Two weeks ago, Andreas Nygaard won Birkebeinerrrennet for the 3rd time, showing a solid performance.

“I felt strong all the way. Birkebeiner is a tough one. There are no breakaways in Birken, so the really strong guys lead the front of the race. Luckily, I had a good day with fast skis and a good position in the last 300 meters. It feels quite good to have the first victory of the season,” Nygaard said during the interview.

Birkebeinerrennet is one of the most important races on the Ski Classics calendar and Norway’s most important long-distance race. Due to Covid-19, the race has been canceled two years in a row.

Andreas Nygaard was offensive since almost the start of the race, leading the way to the finish line. He never felt at the limit of his capacity, but still, it was a tough race.

“It was not planned. I saw that the athletes were in one line, which usually means that they are struggling a bit and the pace is high. So, I just tried to go as hard as possible without passing the threshold.”

Snow Conditions May Favor Those Who Use Kick-Wax At Reistadløpet

About the last weekend of competition, the weather conditions will be challenging, with a forecast of around 30-40 centimeters of new snow until the race day, making these conditions very tough for double poling. 

Nygaard was asked if his main goal is to defend his second place in the Yellow bib competition or to have more victories this season.

“It’s not a big goal for me to be second, honestly. But I will do my best, and I have been healthy, so I think the shape is quite ok. I think Reistadløpet, with these conditions, favors those with kick-wax. We had an average of 19km/h, so when the speed is that low, we have an advantage with diagonal striding. I am not good enough with diagonal striding; my best position with this technique is 7th place. I think if you want to be on the podium, you have to use kick-wax,” says Nygaard.

Andreas used the example of last year’s edition of Reistadløpet when Britta Johansson Norgren was 10 minutes behind the women who were using kick-wax. 

“It’s slightly different with the men, but I am not in better shape than last year. A top 10 finish would be good for me, with the strong traditional cross-country skiers coming in.”

Summit 2 Senja is a brand new event on the Ski Classics calendar, and it will test long-distance skiers’ uphill power. However, the last uphill comes quite late in the race, so Nygaard believes most skiers will double-pole. However, according to the Norwegian Pro Tour athlete, kick-wax will also be an advantage in that race if there is new snow. 

“I have been training steady and easy, trying not to burn all the matches now. I am feeling good, so I hope to have a good day,” concludes Andreas Nygaard.

Next up is Reistadløpet on April 1 and Summit 2 Senja on April 2. The events mark the 13th and 14th Ski Classics stages and the final weekend of Season XIV.

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, Bedřichov, 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.