Last weekend, Eklöf sprinted for the third position at Jizerská50 and now is in second place at the Visma Ski Classics Champion competition, with 831 points. Andreas Nygaard, Team Ragde Charge, leads with 913 points and close behind Eklöf, top names are following: Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, with 812, Max Novak, Team Ramudden, with 811, Tord Asle Gjerdalen, Team XPND Fuel, with 798 and Ermil Vokuev, Russian Winter Team, with 775 points.

Eklöf has high expectations for a good performance at Tartu Maraton this Sunday and is looking forward to the Champion competition. ProXCskiing.com talked with Team Ramudden’s Pro Tour skier about his training, his goals, the Champion bib, and a possible Vasaloppet wearing the yellow color.

You are showing a solid performance this season. What have you changed on your training program and racing approach from the previous years?

“I have changed two major things. The first is that we had a long competition season during summer, for almost two months, so we had a natural periodization for the base and volume training. We competed, got a good shape, took some days off, and repeated that. So maybe it was a bit easier to keep focused during the most important weeks in November and December when you had a break in August and September. The second is that I did more threshold workouts and waited a bit longer for the hardest sessions until close to the season this year.”

At Tartu Maraton, Johannes Eklöf is looking forward to the yellow bib and already has an eye on Vasaloppet.

“It would be nice to start in the yellow bib at Vasaloppet. And there is also a Climb checkpoint that Ramudden is sponsoring so that it would be nice to take home that climb.”

Vasaloppet is just around the corner, and year after year, Eklöf is showing better results.

Do you think a Vasaloppet podium is possible?

“Yes, I think it’s possible. I think this is the year where I finally get all that training needed to be strong all the way and not lose the leading group with 20km to go. I think this is the first year that I have a chance to be competing for the podium.”

Next up in the Visma Ski Classics is Tartu Maraton. The 63-kilometer classic long-distance race takes place in Otepää, Estonia, on February 20, 2022.

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