Patrick Fossum Kristoffersen has been racing for Team Robinson Trentino for the last two years. Now, the Norwegian skier has extended his contract for two more years, thanks to his good results during the season. 

Patrick has been aiming to be a consistent top 20 athlete and sometimes even top 10. 

“I accomplished my goals, so I need to be happy about it and work out how I can perform better next season,” Patrick says during an interview with ProXCskiing.com. 

The Norwegian Pro Tour skier finished top 20 in most events but had a very successful weekend. The two-day races in Orsa Grönklitt were his best moment of the season, where Patrick was very close to the podium, finishing 4th in the Grönklitt Individual Time Trial. 

“15th in the mass start and 4th in the individual race are my best results in Ski Classics to date by some margin. It is definitely a weekend to remember in perfect February weather and with a great atmosphere around Grönklitt.”

On the other side, Vasaloppet was incredibly challenging for him. 

“Because it’s the year’s highlight for everyone, and after Orsa, my team and I had quite high expectations. Then it turned out to be my worst race in 2023. It was really disappointing, but it was just one race, and I still think I learned several things from that race,” says Patrick.

After his good performance over the season, and especially during the Grönklitt weekend, Patrick feels confident to become a top athlete on the Ski Classics circuit.

“For next season, I want to be in the top 20 and top 10 more often than this year. Of course, with a 4th as my best result, a podium finish is the next natural step. I need to raise my aerobic fitness to be in the podium fight for Season XV, and I will do some solid work during the summer and autumn to be well prepared when we start in December.”

High Ambitions For The Summer Season

After a successful Winter season, Patrick Fossum Kristoffersen is setting his sights on the summer version of the sport. Most specifically, Patrick wants to perform well at the Rollerski World Championships in Otepää. He has performed well before at the FIS Rollerski World Cup, so the goal for this year is to be on top of the podium.

“My goal for this year is a gold medal. I have a silver medal from 2019, so I want to improve my results. I am also planning to do some mountain biking races for fun and compete in some Ski Classics Challengers events.”

Two More Years With Team Robinson Trentino

Patrick Fossum Kristoffersen has spent the last two seasons with Team Robinson Trentino, and now he has signed a contract for two more years. The Norwegian skier believes the Italian Pro Team is responsible for his development and success.

“Without them, I don’t know if I would have been at Ski Classics at all. Team Robinson Trentino gives me the opportunity to train in altitude in Italy. And for racing, they always bring a big service team, so we get the best support. Bruno does a fantastic job for everyone in the team, working day and night to ensure we have everything we need,” says Patrick.

Bruno Debertolis, Team Robinsons Trentino’s Pro Team Director, believes Patrick is an important part of his team, and he still has a lot of development ahead.

“Patrick is a really good guy; he commits himself more every day to grow, he informs himself, studies, and tries to rationalize the best things to adapt them to his needs,” Bruno says to ProXCskiing. 

“This means that, although he is still young, he already has certain solid results, conquering the top 20 on several occasions and even a 4th place in Orsa.”

Bruno Debertolis is convinced that he can improve a lot, especially because Patrick will still be in the Youth category next season. 

“In my opinion, he can fight for a top 5 among Youth and top 15 in the overall standing. Or even better.

Patrick Fossum Kristoffersen’s new contract extension with Team Robinson Trentino and his ambitious goals for next season demonstrate his potential to become a top contender on the Ski Classics circuit. As he continues to develop and improve, he is undoubtedly a skier to watch in the coming years.

The Season XIV of Ski Classics Pro Tour consisted 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.