Text by Teemu Virtanen

The tail end of the summer is almost upon us, which means that the roller-ski racing season begins. Pro Team athletes are eager to face each other on roller-skis and find out who is in shape before the intensive training kicks in before the season start.

Tomorrow, you will have a chance to listen to the organizers from six different Visma Ski Classics Challenger events, all roller-ski races, and learn about their history, if there is any as some of them are brand new, and their future prospects. One race has already taken place, Båstad-Mölle on June 5 in Sweden, and one race is the latest addition, Vaajmarathon in Sweden on July 31, which is not included in the program due to the late entry.

Of the six events presented tomorrow, one is in Finland, one in Austria and four in Sweden. Here is a brief description of each in the order of the race dates:

Båstad-Mölle on June 5 – This is the first long distance roller-ski race in the south of Sweden. The track is built on Hallandsåsen in a hilly landscape. The organizers faced many challenges due to the pandemic, but they managed to get the event off the ground. They now have a three-year strategy to develop the event so that it will become the world’s longest roller-ski race with a distance of 100 km. Then, the idea is to have the start in Båstad and the finish in Mölle. This year’s 57 km race was won by Stian Hoelgaard in the men’s class and by Lina Korsgren in the women’s class.

Alliansloppet on August 28 – It is the world’s biggest rollerski event gathering around 1,300 participants each year. The race is held in Trollhättan, Sweden, a city well known for its impressive waterfalls. The relatively easy 16 km loop, to be used three times, leads the skiers across appealing landscapes. Alliansloppet gathers the world’s best long distance skiers and some World Cup athletes eager to see who is the king/queen of the road.

Ring Frei on August 29 – This race takes place on a famous Formula-1 track close to the beautiful city of Salzburg in Austria. This track has seen many famous drivers and motorcycle speeders such as Michael Schumacher, Keke Rosberg, Jochen Rindt, Niki Lauda, Gerhard Berger and Helmut Marko, and now this location is dedicated to a full day of fun with many sports including Visma Ski Classics Challenger roller-ski race, 42 km in free technique.

Värnamorullen on September 4 – For the fifth time, Värnamorullen will take place in Värnamo, in the middle of southern Sweden, and for the first time as a Visma Ski Classics Challenger event. The 40 km course has a great road pavement surrounded by scenic landscapes. The participants can enjoy typical Småländsk nature with meadows and small villages on the way. After the race everyone is invited to a cozy afterparty in the organizers’ club house with good food and fellow skiing enthusiasts.

Lake Saimaa Roller-ski Marathon on September 11-12 – This is a brand-new event with a great potential to grow and revive the roller-ski racing culture in Finland.  The event takes place in Imatra, a city not far from the Russian border. The course goes by two great spas and utilizes parts of one of the best roller-ski tracks in the country. The race course is 15km long and there will be four laps starting and finishing at the Ukonniemi Stadium. When racing, one can enjoy the beautiful scenery of the largest lake in Finland. The women’s competition will be held on Saturday and the men’s competition on Sunday.

Klarälvsloppet on September 19 – Klarälvsloppet is a 90 km long roller-ski event in Sweden, and thus the longest race in the country. It aims to be the Vasaloppet of roller-ski events, and the course is perfect for that as it cuts right through the Värmland countryside following the river Klarälven, a 90 km asphalted nature trail.The race is in classic technique and welcomes both elite and recreational skiers. The 2021 edition is the fourth one attracting many Visma Ski Classics stars. Karlstad is the location for the finish, and this sunniest city in Sweden offers many attractions for visitors including a chance to have a fresh cup of coffee provided by the Löfbergs roastery, which is located in the middle of the city.