Last year, Emil Persson stood on the podium in Bad Gastein. But when the cross-country ski cup starts in the Austrian spa town this weekend, the Swedish cross-country star will not be there.
The body simply hasn't been able to handle the load required during the latter part of the autumn, and I now need to prioritize recovery to come back stronger, says Emil Persson to SVT.
The 30-year-old has won numerous long-distance races over the years, but has had a tougher time the last two seasons. Last year he won a time trial (13 km) in Orsa, and finished second twice. In addition to Bad Gastein, Persson also finished second in Vasaloppet, beaten only by his teammate in Lager 157: Alvar Myhlback.
The long-distance cup kicks off on Saturday with a shorter team competition, 7 kilometers, before it gets going in earnest with Sunday's Bad Gastein Criterium - 36 kilometers over the Austrian Alps.
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