By Teemu Virtanen (Øyvind Moen Fjeld for langrenn.com)

On Thursday next week, the Ragde Charge Opp Tryvann roller-ski race will be held for the second time in Norway. Last year, the race was done in an interval start format, but this year there will be a new twist for the skiers as they double-pole their way up to Tryvann.

This year the race will be broadcast live on NRK 1, the national television of Norway, and will therefore be arranged as a mass start. There will only be an elite class this year. The course starts at Årnes in Sørkedalen and has a total length of approximately 11.5 km.

“Unfortunately, it would be a little too risky to have a mass start for a hundred skiers, so we will only have elite skiers this year,” says Jørgen Aukland, the director of Team Radge Charge, who organizes the event together with his team.

Marit Bjørgen made her public comeback at Opp Tryvann last year. At that time, she was only two minutes behind Therese Johaug, but it is quite possible that Bjørgen is now much stronger than last year. Johaug will also race on Thursday 23rd.

“We have just had an intensive training session at Gaustablikk. Marit showed that she has taken great steps forward since last year. It will be exciting to see how she compares to Johaug now,” says Aukland.

Among the other athletes who have announced their arrival are Hans Christer Holund, Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Team XPND Fuel of Norway, and Mikael Gunnulfsen, who won the double-poling race up to Lysebotn earlier this summer.

Of the host team, Andreas Nygaard is in great shape, but he will face a fierce fight from Team Koteng Eidissen athletes among others.

“We encourage people to come and cheer up their favorites. We are working on a few more names, so it will certainly be a hard fight up the hill,” concludes Aukland.