Last Sunday, we could watch many Pro Tour skiers saving their energy until the final hill. In the winner’s words Johannes Eklöf, Team Ramudden – “we just waited until the finish (…) and wait to give it all until the end.” Tomorrow, La Venosta Time Trial is another tough uphill race that awaits the Pro Tour skiers.

Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge finished with a very tough uphill that made some skiers question if they should use kick-wax during the race. As Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Team Ragde Charge, says in an interview with Visma Ski Classics: “I have tested skis with grip-wax on the hill this morning, but I decided I am not trained for that anymore.”

Astrid Øyre Slind, Team Koteng Eidissen, decided to use grip wax and performed well, finishing the race in the 2nd position. At the final climb, Ida Dahl could go faster using the double-poling technique. It would be expected that Øyre Slind would be faster in such an uphill since she used the diagonal striding technique, but cross-country skiing is not always a straightforward sport.

Not too steep for double-poling

“I watched the race last Sunday, and it was great. But I think it was not too steep for double-poling,” this is how Petter Eliassen, the man who conquered the first victory, double-poling the entire course of Birkebeiner, starts the conversation with ProXCskiing. 

“Even at the final climb, Ida Dahl had a small advantage that she could maintain with double-poling technique,” he affirms.

Eliassen believes that long-distance skiers can use the double-poling technique if the hills are under 15% inclination. 

“We train to use double-poling, so the only reason I would choose diagonal striding is if the inclination is more than 15%. Even though, it was an impressive race to watch, especially with Johannes Eklöf attack.”

Teemu Virtanen, a cross-country skiing expert and the man who has just double-poled Alpe de Cermis, shares the same opinion as Petter Eliassen.

“I spoke with some skiers that morning, and they told me that they thought about using kick-wax, but there were some reasons why they didn’t use it. The terrain was not that steep. Although there was a lot of inclination over the course, it was not very steep. Moreover, the tracks were getting icy, and it is better to use double-poling in suck conditions. We could see that Astrid Øyre Slind was having some problems with her grip during the last climb, while Ida Dahl was able to keep double-poling until the finish line,” says Teemu.

Virtanen agrees with Petter Eliassen in the idea that long-distance skiers have dedicated so much time to train the double-poling technique that they might have an advantage over traditional skiers, even in tough uphill. 

“There are many courses in the World Cup that cannot be won using double-poling. But over these longer courses and softer climbs, double-poler might find it easier to ski without the friction that grip-wax provides, and they are more rested when the uphill starts. And finally, when you use double-poling technique, you are using smaller muscles. So, heart rate will probably be lower.”

The science behind why double-poling is sometimes a better technique

Øyvind Sandbakk, Centre for Elite Sports Research director at NTNU, who has been doing extensive research about cross-country skiing training and performance, also believes that there are certain circumstances in which the double-poling technique may provide better skiing conditions.

“Research made using rollerskis has demonstrated that double-poling technique is more efficient up to a certain incline. I estimate that it is around 8-10% incline,” says Øyvind Sandbakk to ProXCskiing. 

“However, the reality is much more complex when using double-poling outdoors, where many different factors are influencing this. For example, skiers who don’t use kick-wax might be more recovered when starting the uphill, due to skis with less friction on easy terrain.”

Like Teemu Virtanen, Øyvind Sandbakk believes long-distance skiers had a vigorous development over the last 15 years and will probably continue to develop their strength. 

Technical and track conditions are determinant to choose the skiing technique, as he explains:

“The snow conditions impact the effectiveness of double-poling. If snow is hard, it might be better to use double-poling than the diagonal striding technique, which generally gives better conditions for skiing in soft snow. And there is also another relevant factor in addition to snow conditions: is the course straightforward, or does it have many curves? Because the change of direction is more effective using the double-poling technique without the friction of kick-wax – and vice versa”, says Øyvind.

Sandbakk finishes his analysis with a relevant thought that summarizes why some skiers go faster using double-poling on climbs: “It does not help to be faster uphill if you are exhausted when the hill starts.”

Understanding the role of strength and local aerobic capacity in double-poling success

Martin Sundqvist is a Swedish cross-country skiing coach and engineer who has dedicated his work to studying the impact of specific strength training on cross-country ski performance. 

Like the previous experts, he believes that the friction caused by grip-wax causes an increase in the total workload of skiers, making them waste more energy.

“When you ski from A to B, overcoming the friction forces against the snow is always a part of the work you must do. So, anything that reduces this friction will also reduce the work done. Consequently, skiing without grip-wax will minimize the effort and time”, says Sundqvist in a commentary to ProXCskiing.

Double-poling has been used over flat terrains for decades, but it is now increasingly the choice of skiers for uphill terrains. Sundqvist relates this development to the specialization of both athletes and equipment.

“Double-poling on flat courses is intuitive and has been practiced for decades. However, doing it uphill is not so easy. But athletes and equipment have been changing over time. The best skiers in Visma Ski Classics have specialized in the double-poling technique, making it a winning technique. The key to their success is developing specific strength on their arms, abs, hips flexors, and back. And they also developed their system to deliver oxygen to mitochondria and capillaries to such degree that Vo2Max is the limiting factor for their performance.” 

“This means that when skiers are strong enough to double-pole the entire course, the one with the best aerobic capacity for the day will win the race. Could Bolshunov or Niskanen win Prato Piazza Mountain Challenge? Maybe, because they have higher Vo2Max.”

Therefore, Martin Sundqvist believes that Vo2Max and specific strength development are the keys to success using the double-poling technique.

Next time you decide if you should or not use grip-wax, consider the insights that these experts give. Take into consideration the terrain, the course characteristics, the snow conditions and assess your specific strength and aerobic capacity to understand if double-poling could be an advantage.

Next up in the Visma Ski Classics is La Venosta Time Trial. The 10-kilometer classic race takes place in Italy, on January 15, 2022.

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