The World Cup in traditional cross-country skiing is over for this season and then some of the skiers take the opportunity to challenge the cross-country specialists in Ski Classics.
Therese Johaug, who has announced that she will end her career, is one of the big names who will try to win at home.
The track suits her well according to SVT Sports expert.
- The track in Birkebeinern is really hilly and more reminiscent of a "regular" five-mile track in the World Cup than most races in Ski Classics.
This gives the traditional riders a relative advantage compared to other races, says Anders Blomquist.
- With the same reasoning, I land in that Therese Johaug is the biggest favorite.
She has the world's highest capacity, and will invest everything to determine the race in the heavy climb up the mountain during the race's initial 15 km.
If she has not managed to shake off the long-distance girls there, it opens up the chance for everyone who has joined.
But I think that by virtue of her incredible oxygen uptake, she succeeds in her goal.
"The question mark is her form"
The last seven times the race has been run, it has been a Norwegian victory on the men's side and Blomquist believes that it can be again this year.
- There are many who have the capacity to win this year's edition.
Some Swedish names and even more Norwegian are the biggest favorites.
I choose Martin Löwström Nyenget, a skier who has performed both in the Ski Classics and in the World Cup (he won the five miles in Holmenkollen a while ago).
Ida Dahl has six podium places, of which four victories, but in the Vasaloppet it was tough for the 26-year-old who had problems with the skis.
Now she wants revenge.
- If Ida succeeds with the material and finds her way back to the form she had in January, she can win this year's Birkebeiner.
She is one of the world's strongest ladies at pole vaulting, so the course suits her well.
The question mark is her form but also what speed Johaug can set up, says Blomquist.