Alvar Myhlback is one of a total of 19 Swedish cross-country skiers who have been selected for the Tour de Ski in Italy over the turn of the year.
Along with Edvin Anger and Anton Grahn, Alvar Myhlback already had a free spot on the tour after his great start to the World Cup (including a third place in the sprint in Trondheim). But the question was whether the 19-year-old, whose main focus is on Ski Classics, would accept or if it would interfere with his preparation for the upcoming long races.
Running on the Olympic track
Perhaps the desire to try the Olympic ski trails in Val di Fiemme – Myhlback was recently selected for the Olympics in February – became too great.
It's great that he's there. He also gets to try out the Olympic track and it's great to get to make some plans there, says Sweden's national team manager Andes Byström.
Among the missing riders is Jonna Sundling. The 30-year-old, who has won the World Cup in both sprint and distance this season, should otherwise be cut and dried for a prominent position in the tour.
It has been her plan from the beginning that she will not go to the Tour. She has had both positive and negative experiences with the Tour de Ski, and the Olympics are the most important thing for her. So she has planned to have a training period now, says Anders Byström.
Overall victory in sight
The Tour de Ski will be held from December 28 to January 4 with four stages in Toblach and two in Val di Fiemme.
"We are sending a large squad and have a very good team too. On the women's side, almost everyone in the Olympic squad is there, so there are definitely chances to be there and fight for it this year, both in the individual races and also in the overall," says Byström.
Lasse Mannheimer/TT
Facts: Sweden's squad for the 2025–26 Tour de Ski
TT
Women: Ebba Andersson, Maja Dahlqvist, Lisa Eriksson, Johanna Hagström, Moa Ilar, Frida Karlsson, Moa Lundgren, Emma Ribom, Märta Rosenberg, Linn Svahn.
Men: Edvin Anger, Gustaf Berglund, Johan Ekberg, Jonas Eriksson, Truls Gisselman, Anton Grahn, Alvar Myhlback, William Poromaa, Eric Rosjö.
