Last season, Team Futura Trentino Alta Quota made their debut as a Висма Ски Классикс Pro Team, finishing 25th in the Pro Team standings. As they gear up for their second season, Pro Team Director Andrea Buttaboni shares with Pro XC Skiing the team’s desire to rise in the rankings.
“Our aim for next season is to achieve better results, enhancing our pro team ranking along with the individual performances of our athletes,” Andrea states.
Andrea notes that Team Futura Trentino Alta Quota had a fruitful summer training period, gaining confidence after their strong performance in a roller-skiing race in Italy, setting optimistic expectations for the upcoming season.
“The summer was fantastic. We managed to bring all our athletes together for training on several occasions and even organized a roller-ski race in Trentino, featuring a sprint in Trento on the first day and an uphill race to Monte Bondone on the second. Almost 400 participants took part,” Andrea Buttaboni informs Pro XC Skiing.
With the long-distance ski season starting in just a few days, all athletes from Team Futura Trentino Alta Quota have convened for a training camp in Val Martello, near the new Visma Ski Classics event, Reschenseerennen.
“This training camp is highly beneficial as it allows us to train on snow together and test our winter gear. We also welcomed our new athletes. Among them is Sophia Innerkofler, a promising 19-year-old female athlete focusing on long distances. We foresee great potential in her. Additionally, we have two new male athletes: Italian Emanuele Bosin and Swedish Rickard Ericsson, who is deeply passionate about cross-country skiing. We aim to support him in achieving his ambitious goals,” Andrea shares with Pro XC Skiing.
Team Futura Trentino Alta Quota aspires to inspire Italian skiers to embrace long-distance skiing and is successfully attracting athletes from biathlon, a popular sport in Italy, thanks to the accolades of the national team. One notable athlete is Magdalena Wierer, a biathlete transitioning to long-distance racing by joining Team Futura Trentino Alta Quota.
“This summer, I decided to leave biathlon to carve out my own identity. The constant comparisons with my sister were exhausting, so when I learned about this long-distance team, I sought to join. I’ll begin with long-distance races using the skating technique and, once I’m comfortable with longer distances, I might explore classic races. I find the double-poling technique fascinating and aim to incorporate it in my future races,” Magdalena shares with Pro XC Skiing, referring to her sister, Dorothea.
Magdalena’s announcement of her retirement from biathlon this fall made waves in the skiing community. During that time, she acknowledged the pressure of being the younger sister of a renowned athlete and her struggles with various health issues that hindered her performance. She is now embarking on an exhilarating new journey that promises a fresh start and the new identity she seeks.
Andrea Buttaboni is thrilled to support her transition into this new realm. He believes Magdalena will excel in skating events and is eager to see how she adapts to the double-poling technique.
“Who knows, she might become an excellent double-poler,” Andrea concludes, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
