Rogla, Slovenia

We’re in Rogla, Slovenia- the land of huge snow banks, blowing wind and snow, and the site of a World Cup just a few months ago. My second weekend of racing on OPA Cup tour is nearly here, and it’s the OPA finals. We start with a 2.2km classic prologue on Friday, followed by a 5km classic mass start on Saturday, and then a 10km skate handicap start on Sunday.

After a good week of training and racing in France, yesterday we headed out east, covering nearly one thousand kilometers through three countries. The drive was long, but spectacular. Castles, tunnels, fantastic Italian food, beautiful mountains, good chocolate, and great company made for an enjoyable day of travel. We arrive in Rogla tired, but happy to see snow (as much of our drive passed through areas devoid of any sign of winter). We settled into our accommodations- little “bungalows” located behind a massive hotel and adjacent to the alpine and Nordic areas. Blustery conditions greeted us, continued through the night and have yet to let up. Snowdrifts cover the roads, walkways, and ski trails. Parked cars, trees and streetlights are plastered with snow, and the snow banks are twice my height.

Today we trained at the Nordic venue, just a ten-minute walk from the hotel. The wind was howling, so we dressed warmly and made our way to the trails. Although most of the other teams have yet to arrive, the area is still beginning to feel like a race venue. People were putting up fencing in the stadium, the piston bully was out grooming, the courses were marked, and Slovenian team was also out training. The wind was a force to be reckoned with, having scouring the tree-less areas of the course, dumped snow on the newly groomed trails, and would quickly chill any exposed skin. At times I felt like I was standing still on my skis, despite my efforts to move forward, while other times the trees provided welcome shelter and a fortunate tailwind gave me a little extra push.

This storm is expected to pass by Friday, in time for the races to begin. I hope it does, but mostly because I want to see where I am. Just as in France last weekend, I know I’m in a spectacular mountainous place, I just can’t see more than a few hundred meters ahead of me. No matter what the weather does, I think we’re in for some good racing though. The field of racers is solid and the courses are world-class. Stay tuned for more updates from this weekend and the rest of the season!