Põlluste has high expectations for a good performance from him and his Pro Tour Team at Tartu Maraton this weekend. ProXCskiing.com talked with the local long-distance skier about his season, preparation, goals, and tips about Tartu Maraton, which is now back to the Visma Ski Classics circuit again.

For Ski Team Nordic Jobs Worldwide, Tartu Maraton is the biggest goal at Visma Ski Classics Season XII. The Pro Team consists of international athletes, but the team’s roots come from Estonia.

“Tartu Maraton is the biggest goal for our Pro Tour Team for this season, and we are excited and looking forward to Sunday’s race.”

Last year, Mart Kevin won Tartu Maraton and is focused on the goal again.

“I think the only goal we can have, in every sports event or race, is to win. So, as a Pro Team, we will give everything we have to repeat the success we had last year. Of course, it’s going to be tough, but we expect that the tracks suit us as we know them, and maybe that will help us to succeed.” 

For the Pro Tour skier, his form is improving over the last few races, and he expects to be on top form for Tartu Maraton.

“My season started a little bit rough, I didn’t have the best feeling, but now, in the last couple of races, I feel that the shape is getting better and better, so I hope I can continue in this trend this weekend in Tartu.”

As a local and Tartu Maraton winner, Mart Kevin Põlluste is skiing on home turf and knows all the most significant challenges waiting for the Pro Tour skiers this coming Sunday. 

“I think this year the tracks will be pretty fast, so you will need to keep a high pace, and then it can be a little tricky on the profile. People think it’s an easy and flat course, but there are some challenging climbs. I think it’s a good race and a little bit more skiers have a chance to be in the top, compared to some other big races.”

The winner doesn’t hide the game and advises those who have never raced at Tartu Maraton.

“It’s not a secret. The climb point is the toughest part of the course, and after that is a little bit more downhill, but I think pacing is important. So, in that sense, you must keep or have enough power in the final 20km when it’s quite flat. It’s bad to go and hit the Sprint checkpoint in Palu (46km mark) when you are already empty and don’t have any power left for the flat final part of the race.” 

Can the Tartu Maraton hill be compared with other climbs in the Visma Ski Classics circuit?

“Maybe it can be compared to the start climb of Vasaloppet. I think this is the most comparable in that sense in terms of length and difficulty. Some sections are a little bit easier, but some sections are quite steep, and gradually climbing, some up and downs from about 5km, so it’s easy to underestimate the climb.”    

Do you think you have an advantage compared to the other guys that have never raced in Tartu?

Yes, I think I have raced three times now, so I think it’s a bit of an advantage. I know the French guys on the French Team had done the race when it was FIS Marathon Cup race. So maybe we have some advantage because we know where to push, but I think it will be a fair race for everybody because the course is quite wide, you have a lot of chances to pass people, and there will be not many traffic jams, so, the strongest will win in the end.” 

Next up in the Visma Ski Classics is Tartu Maraton. The 63-kilometer classic long-distance race takes place in Otepää, Estonia, on February 20, 2022.

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