May 13, 2008 – The unparalleled performances of the Rossignol X-Ium package in the Nordic World Cup events this season have convinced our racers to continue with Rossignol, but have also caught the eye of some of the big names on the Nordic circuit.

In cross-country skiing, where the team already has an impressive group of athletes, in particular in the Scandinavian zone with Virpi Kuitunen, double winner of the World Cup Cross-Country (2007 and 2008), Aino Kaisa Saarinen for Finland, the Norwegian champions Tor Arne Hetland, Odd-Bjørn Hjelmeset and Eldar Rønning, and the Swede Björn Lind, Rossignol is now bringing new champions on board!

Indeed, the German Tobias Angerer, winner of the World Cup in 2006 and 2007 and dual medal winner at the World Championships in 2007, is joining Team Rossignol! This great champion, with his brilliant record, was won over by our products and is today signing a two-year contract with Rossignol. His fellow countryman, Jens Filbrich, bronze medal winner in Sapporo last year on the 50km C, has also signed with the brand for two years. They will surely strengthen our position on the German zone, in the company of Katrin Zeller, winner at Engadin with Rossignol last March.

Also of note: the Italian, Pietro Piller Cottrer (Ita), 3rd in the World Cup overall and 2nd in the Distance event, is to continue his collaboration with Rossignol accompanied by the French athletes Vincent Vittoz and Roddy Darragon!

In the Biathlon, Rossignol is also strengthening its team in Germany with the arrival of champion Martina Glagow, triple silver medal winner at the last Olympic Games and 5th in the World Cup overall rankings last year. This new collaboration with Martina, on top of a two-year contract with the young Norwegian skier, Solveig Rogstad, a promising athlete who has already secured two top-three finishes including a win on the World Cup circuit last year, is proof enough of our desire to make our mark on the women’s circuit.

For the men, the Czech skier Michal Slesingr, twice medal winner at the 2007 World Championships and winner of the last World Cup stage this season, will also bring his expertise and his talent to bear in our team next year.

The French skier, Vincent Defrasne (Fra), winner of the 2008 Individual Globe and his team-mate, Simon Fourcade, undoubtedly a great champion of the future, along with the Swedish athletes, Mattias Nilsson Jr. and Carl Johan Bergman, will also defend Rossignol’s colours for two further years, right through to the next Olympic Games! We wish them all an excellent season!

2008/2009 Teams

Cross-country skiing: Virpi Kuitunen (Fin), Aino Kaisa Saarinen (Fin), Katrin Zeller (Ger), Pietro Piller Cottrer (Ita), Tor Arne Hetland (Nor), Vincent Vittoz (Fra), Eldar Roenning (Nor), Tobias Angerer (Ger), Odd-Björn Hjelmeset (Nor), Johan Kjoelstad (Nor), Bjoern Lind (Swe), Jens Filbrich (Ger).

Biathlon: Martina Glagow (Ger), Solveig Rogstad (Nor), Delphine Peretto (Fra), Marie-Laure Brunet (Fra), Michal Slesingr (Cze), Vincent Defrasne (Fra), Simon Fourcade (Fra), Mattias Nilsson (Swe), Carl Johan Bergman (Swe), Tim Burke (USA), Mattias Simmen (Swi), Jay Hakkinen (USA).