After a slightly shorter Christmas break, the Tour de Ski is approaching.

Two sprint races and five distance races must be completed before the winners can be crowned on top of Alpe Cermis.

Sweden is sending 14 skaters, seven men and seven women.

- We are traveling with an exciting squad of seven ladies and seven gentlemen.

The quotas are based on a basic quota of six places, but those who are among the top 20 in the sprint cup have a personal free place in the Tour de Ski and then we get the opportunity for a few extra places, says national team manager Anders Byström.

Among the ladies, Jonna Sundling, Ebba Andersson and Emma Ribom are missing, but on the other hand, Maja Dahlqvist, who previously hinted that she would not compete in the Tour de Ski, has changed her mind and will start.

- Frida Karlsson longs to climb Alpe Cermis in the final hill in Val di Fiemme and we also get Moa Ilar and Anna Dyvik back after illness.

On the men's side, Calle Halfvarsson is back after a training period and there will be new chances for Johan Häggström, who performed well in both sprint and distance in Davos, says Byström.