The Ski Classics Season XV is over, but preparation for the upcoming season is underway. Hear about the past season and what lies ahead for the Austrian Pro Team, Ski-Willy Marathon Team Austria.

Ski-Willy Marathon Team Austria was established in 2015 and is based in the heart of the Austrian Alps. They just completed another season in Ski Classics and finished in 32nd place overall in the Pro Team competition. 

Peter Kiene, Pro Team Director, reflects on the team’s performance during Season XV:

“We look back on a very long and challenging Ski Classics XV racing season with some ups and downs and sometimes a bit too much bad luck,” says Kiene and adds:

“Unfortunately, we did not achieve our minimum target of a top 25 finish in the Pro Team ranking, and there are many reasons for that. At the December races in Gastein and Reschensee, the overlap rule cost us a lot of points, especially in the women’s competitions. While in the A-2-B races such as Marcialonga, Vasaloppet, etc., the gap to the winner is irrelevant to score points, skiers in lap races are still stopped after 75% of the completed distance. If a skier like Emilie Fleten dominates the competition in this way, it will be difficult for younger skiers, in particular, to get into the ranking. As long as no one is obstructed, this rule is incomprehensible and demotivates young skiers. From mid-January onwards, we had a total loss of our women’s team due to injuries and illness. As the team ranking is essentially decided by the results of the women’s races, we had no chance of finishing in the top 25 from then on. Our best race was Vasaloppet, where Josua Strübel finished 58th and Luisa Grießbaum 61st.”

Despite the challenges and difficulties, what is the most memorable moment from the season?

“The season’s highlight was our home race, the Ski Classics opener in Bad Gastein. We had a full team at the start, were able to present ourselves and our sponsors to the local and international press very well, and achieved solid race results. The best athlete was Josua Strübel, who won the Gastein Classics Challengers race on Saturday after the team prologue, ahead of Dario Cologna, and only just missed out on points in the Bad Gastein Criterium on Sunday. The team also celebrated the double victory of our women Petra Tanner and Laura Groiss at the Gastein Classics on Saturday. 

Also Read: Josua Strübel and Petra Tanner winners of Raifffeisen Gastein Classics 2023

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Peter also remembered his best personal moment of Season XV: 

“For me, it was an honor to be a co-commentator for the team presentation and moderate the races on Saturday and Sunday in the finish area in Sportgastein.”

Read More: Watch the Pro Team presentation Season XV Live on SC Play

What aspects did Ski-Willy Marathon Team Austria excel in during Season XV?

“A great strength of the team is the strong cohesion and extremely friendly cooperation. The strong team spirit contributed to the fact that, despite a lot of improvisation, mutual support and assistance was never questioned.”

“Taking on the challenge of long-distance skiing and the Ski Classics Pro Tour has turned our athletes into #localheroes in their clubs and home communities. The enormous and positive feedback is both an incentive and motivation for further racing seasons with even greater goals.”

In what areas do you see potential for further development?

“We have always had problems, especially in equipment and service. As we didn’t have anyone to service our skis last winter, we had to find a new solution for every event. I want to thank the teams Aker Dæhlie, Danish Skimarathon Team, Bruse Sauerland, and the wax company Flexxit for their valuable support. It is difficult to build up our own service team, as experts are in short supply or difficult to afford in German-speaking countries. We are trying to compensate for this shortcoming through various collaborations,” says Kiene and adds:

“We also have room for improvement when it comes to ski equipment. Our skiers use different brands of skis, so each athlete is responsible for choosing the right skis, which has proven to be problematic, especially in difficult snow conditions. A “one-brand strategy,” as practiced by the leading teams, would make ski testing and service much easier and would be something to aim for. As the established ski companies are becoming increasingly cautious in the sponsorship sector, I expect a development in the medium term similar to that in ski jumping, where companies from outside the industry, such as BWT, Slatnar, or fluege.de, act as ski suppliers.”

“New opportunities are opening in training management and planning, but we will only be able to announce these in due course.”

When do you expect to finalize your team for the upcoming season? 

“We will only present the team during the summer, as we unfortunately have to apply for a Pro Team license again. We are currently looking for a motivated and solid woman. Our strongest skier, Josua Strübel, is retiring from competitive sport and will only compete in local races in the future. We are trying to fill this gap with an international skier.”

Last but not least, what are your goals for Season XVI?

“If we receive a Ski Classics Pro Team license again, our minimum goal is a top 25 team ranking. In addition, we would like to fight for the podium places in the local Ski Classics Challengers events: Ring Frei, Gastein Classics, Dolomitenlauf, and Ganghoferlauf. For the athletes individually, the aim is to reduce the gap to the top skiers to such an extent that a place in the points is possible in every race,” concludes Pro Team Director Peter Kiene.

Also Read: The complete Pro Team Ranking Season XV