Period 1 World Cup Preview
Hey, all! It has been a little while since I last checked in. I just wrapped up a pretty hard training block these last couple weeks here in Minneapolis and I will fly out to Oslo, Norway on November 9th. Before things get too busy, I want to lay out my race schedule for November and December — where I am racing, the distances of the races, and also some general thoughts about the season as a whole. Without any further ado, here is the game plan!
Me, Gus, and Caitlin after a hard skate session in Newport, MN. My session that day was 1x70 minutes of L3 skiing on a really hilly 3K loop.
1: Beitostølen, Norway: NorgesCup Season Opener 🇳🇴
November 19th: 10K Classic Interval Start
November 20th: 10K Skate Interval Start
The first races of the season will be the NorgesCup races in Beitostølen, Norway. This is the official season opener for the NorgesCup circuit (aka Norway’s version of SuperTours). I will show up to Norway on November 10th and get a solid week or so of on snow training before racing on the 19th and 20th. These races are a really big deal for Norwegians because it is one of the only times the domestic skiers get to race against the Norwegian National Team. Skiers that are able to prove themselves in these races are often rewarded with World Cup Starts for Norway.
In some ways, these races are almost MORE competitive than World Cup because of how many strong skiers there are in Norway. In any given World Cup event, Norway might only get 5-6 starting spots for their men’s team. In these races, however, you get to race against ALL of the Norwegians. I think it will be a really cool experience and I am excited to do these races after watching them on TV so many times throughout the years.
I also look forward to having the opportunity to do a bunch of ski testing, as I switched ski companies to Rossignol for this season and will no doubt have some work to do to figure out my new fleet!
2: Ruka, Finland: World Cup Season Opener 🇫🇮
November 26th: 10K Classic Interval Start
November 27th: 20K Skate Pursuit
After the races in Norway, I will fly to Finland to join the U.S. Ski Team in Ruka for the World Cup opening races. These races mark the beginning of Period One on the World Cup. I have never been to Ruka before but I am really excited to race on the courses there. In the past, the first World Cups of the season were always marked on our calendars because we would make sure to tune in and watch them on TV. To be able to participate in them this year will be a really cool honor, and of course I am hoping to race fast as well.
Selfie with the boys last year in Lahti, Finland. Excited to see what another part of Finland is like!
3: Lillehammer, Norway: World Cup 🇳🇴
December 2nd: 10K Skate Interval Start
December 4th: 20K Skiathlon
Following Ruka, I will head back to Norway to compete in Lillehammer. This is one that I am super excited for. Norwegian World Cups are always extra special because of the huge crowds that show up and due to the fact that my girlfriend Julie is from Norway. I might even get to see some of my friends from NMU while I am there. In addition, I feel like a 20K skiathlon will be a super interesting event to do. We don’t get to do many skiathlons in the U.S. so I think it will be great to try my hand at one.
4: Beitostølen, Norway: World Cup 🇳🇴
December 10th: 10K Classic Interval Start
Keeping in the spirit of Norway, I will be heading BACK to Beitostølen, this time for World Cup racing. I imagine it will be really valuable experience to have raced this exact event a few weeks prior and I am hoping to feel really well prepared for this one. In case you haven’t noticed by now, I am only doing the distance races on World Cup for Period One. I think this will be great because it allows me to fully focus on those races but at the same time I still have goals of being an all-round skier one day who can compete at the highest level in both distance and sprint races. One step at a time!
4: Davos, Switzerland: World Cup 🇨🇭
December 18th: 20K Skate Interval Start
Following a pretty long stint in Norway, we will fly over to Davos, Switzerland for the week. You might remember that I was in Davos for some time last winter while preparing for the Tour de Ski. It’s an incredibly beautiful venue with some courses that are much harder than they look since Davos is at altitude. 20K skate is an event that I had a lot of success with during my time at NMU so I am really excited to revisit this distance on the World Cup. Once again, I hope that my time spent here last winter will be really valuable experience in feeling prepared for this race.
Out for a ski last December in sunny, beautiful, Davos
What’s Next?
The World Cup races in Davos mark the end of Period One. I am guaranteed starts in all of the races that I listed above, but I won’t know about the World Cups after Davos until I get there. Hopefully I will be able to perform well enough in the Period One World Cup races to earn a spot on the Tour de Ski and beyond, with the big goal of the season being to earn a spot on the World Championships team in Planica, Slovenia.
In the meantime, my focus is on coming into these races as prepared as possible and doing all the little things well to set myself up for success. I feel so fortunate to have been able to do so much World Cup racing last season as I feel really confident coming into this season. Regardless of what happens, I will be at peace knowing that I will have done everything I can to be successful.
Thanks for reading and thank you so much to everyone who supports me, believes in me, and cheers me on! All of the kind and encouraging messages from my community have been really uplifting and motivating.
Last World Cup season ended on a high note — let’s see how Period One can go!
