When Ski Classics starts with two races next weekend, Petter Northug, Team Janteloppet, enters Bad Gastein, Austria, with confidence and a proactive mindset.

“I have a completely different starting point this year,” says Northug.

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Langrenn.com had an in-depth conversation with the former skiing king who made a comeback at the elite level before last season.

From his debut season in Ski Classics, Northug achieved a fifth-place finish in Orsa Grönklitt as his best result, along with a victory in the long-distance Toblach-Cortina race. Now, at the age of 37, he is ready for his second Ski Classics season with a carefully selected Ski Classics Pro Team and lofty ambitions.

Well-trained for the upcoming season

From his debut season in Ski Classics, Northug achieved a fifth-place finish in Orsa Grönklitt as his best result, along with a victory in the long-distance Toblach-Cortina race.

What changes have you made compared to last year?

“I have much more training in my body this year. I’ve had more time to train in the summer and have incorporated more volume than I did before last season. Back then, I couldn’t train as much as I wanted in the summer, but now I’ve managed to do so.”

How much do you train in a regular week now?

“In a regular week now, I train for 25 hours. But if I have a bit more work, it becomes 10 to 12 hours. So, in the weeks where I have the opportunity to train a lot, I train a lot. It mainly involves skiing, but I try to mix in some skating, running, and cycling, though not much strength training because there’s a lot of skiing.”

Who is your coach now?

“Coach? None. It’s my head. But I consult a lot with Pål Trøan (Aune) and Joar (Thele). We train together a lot, and we discuss training a lot. It’s educational and interesting for both them and me. Talking about what we do daily is motivating, and it helps me plan the next session and the next week.”

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Soon to be declared fit

Northug had initially planned to make his season debut at the FIS races in Muonio from November 9th to 11th, where he would compete against the World Cup elite for the first time in five years.

However, a lingering shoulder injury he sustained at the end of an intensive training month in October forced Northug to withdraw from both the races in Finland and the national season opener at Beitostølen the following week.

How is the shoulder injury that prevented you from starting in Muonio and Beitostølen?

“It’s getting better, but it still bears the mark of lingering effects from the October training camp. I call it 90 percent. So, it’s intact, and I feel that it’s intact, but I hope it really lets go now. I’m getting treatment for it, and it feels okay, but it might need a bit more time before it’s 100 percent.”

What happened?

“Mainly, it’s because I trained very intensively in October. I was at a training camp in October, and there was a lot of uphill skiing, which I’m not entirely used to. So, when there was so much tough uphill skiing, it tipped over a bit in the wrong direction,” says Northug, admitting that he needs to be more considerate of his age now.

“I notice that recovery time is longer now. And I notice that it takes longer to recover from injuries. That’s part of the game. Training and tough periods take longer now than when I was 22, and you remember the recovery time you had back then.”

So overall, what’s the status before the Ski Classics season premiere?

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Handpicked Pro Team

Petter Northug’s own Ski Classics Pro Team, Team Janteloppet, was established before the current season and consists of a total of seven athletes.

On the men’s side, there are four members: Joar Thele (30), whom Northug took from the Aukland brothers’ Team Ragde Charge, younger brother Even Northug (28), team manager Pål Trøan Aune (31), and Northug himself.

On the women’s side, there are three athletes: Fanny Marie Möller Endresen (30) and Maren Engeskaug Nielsen (28), both from Team Straye Flammekastere, and Alessia De Zolt Ponte (23) from Italy.

“They are people who stand out and are a bit different. I like that. We should be an inclusive team. It’s part of the whole Janteloppet and Janteburn concept,” says Northug, revealing that this year’s team is just the beginning.

“We are still in a phase where we are building a team. So, from next year, the plan is to have a much larger team, but you have to start somewhere. Then, we will have four or five guys who are full-time Pro Team athletes. And preferably just as many girls, but there aren’t as many full-time athletes to choose from there.”

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