PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Ski Classics winner Emilie Fleten is looking forward to meeting Stina Nilsson this winter.
Here, Nilsson gets a tip for the long-distance venture – but also a little tip:
– I would like to have her as a teammate, so that she could be my assistant rider, says Fleten.
The 31-year-old Norwegian dominated the long races this winter and won both the Ski Classics overall and the Vasaloppet. She wasn’t surprised when Stina Nilsson last week announced that she is abandoning biathlon to become a skier again.
– It was not entirely surprising. Stina has not had the results in biathlon that she wanted, and wanted to do something else, says Fleten to TT.
The words about Stina
Emilie Fleten is prepared for Stina Nilsson to become a dangerous challenger in the tracks already this winter.
– She is a good skier who can ski well technically. She also has a lot of fast muscle fibers and will handle the stakes quite well, says Emilie Fleten, who is prepared for sprint duels against the Swede who in 2018 won Olympic gold in the sprint.
– Some races will suit her better than others. It doesn’t have to be that long before she reaches a potentially high level. But if she joins the race in all the races I would be surprised.
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Emilie Fleten is also convinced that Nilsson will be one of the favorites in the Vasaloppet.
– The Vasaloppet will suit Stina Nilsson very well with a high speed from the start. She has a lot of speed in her body on easy sections, where you can stand tall and create good speed.
Norwegian girl
In Ski Classics, you ride in teams, in a similar way to professional cycling. Norwegian Emilie Fleten lives in Östersund and rides for the Swedish team Team Ramudden.
30-year-old Nilsson will drive for Norwegian Team Ragde Charge, which is run by the Norwegian brothers Anders Aukland and Jörgen Aukland.
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Emilie Fleten, who has now gained a lot of experience in long-distance running, advises the Swede to take advantage of the men in her team.
– She has extremely many talented men’s skaters in her team. Take advantage of it and challenge them at the training camps. Especially on the roller skis. There you can have a lighter load on the roller skis. Before this season I had a lot of help from the guys on my team. It made me much stronger.
READ MORE: Hanna Öberg and Elvira Öberg’s first words about Stina Nilsson’s decision – now say what everyone is thinking: “She should be praised for it”
Are you disappointed that you won’t be teammates with Stina Nilsson?
– I would like to have her as a teammate, so that she could be my assistant rider. But I’m not sure she wants to. Then I’m probably the wrong person to ask her if she wants to be my assistant rider, replies Emilie Fleten with a laugh.
How do you think it goes for Stina Nilsson in the long run? Share the article and have your say!
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