December 11, 2007 (Canmore, Alta.) – Team X-C.com’s Ivan Babikov has stormed out of the gates at the start of the 2007-08 season with back-to-back wins at Haywood NorAm races. We caught up with him after his win at the Haywood NorAm 10km classic event on Dec. 9 at Canmore, Alberta. Babikov was in great spirits after his win and was still sporting his trademark red toque for our interview.

Tell us how the race went for you today.
Ivan Babikov: I felt very good, my skis were great, and our technician worked very well with the wax – I was really satisfied. It was the first classic race of the season, so I focused more on my technique, and tried to keep the same steady tempo to the finish, and I guess I did alright.

Are you happy with how your season has been going so far this year? IB: Yeah, I’m usually not this strong at the beginning because I do lots of volume. I’m usually not focused on speed training and being fast at this time of year. But for sure, I am pretty satisfied as I’ve won a few races so far.

What’s your main focus for this season?
IB: It’s a year without the Nordic World Championships or Olympics, so if I have a chance to attend and do well at the XC World Cup in Canmore in January 2008 that’s my biggest goal for sure. But it’s kind of complicated with my citizenship and passport situation – it’s a long story. Maybe the SuperTour and some races in the USA, the Birkebeiner and also to relax this season, and try to ski for fun.

What are your plans to the lead up to Vancouver 2010?
IB: Well again, a lot it depends on my citizenship, I hope it’s gonna happen sooner than later, meaning this year or next year, so I can compete for Canada officially. I live here, its my home, and for many years I’ve been waiting for this. It’s just all that paper work and takes a lot of time. So I am hoping for a Canadian passport. (Note: It looks like Babikov may have some hope in the near future for his citizenship as there’s a meeting next week to discuss his case. He is still a Russian citizen and hopes to become a Canadian citizen in the next short while.

We hope that comes through for you. Working with your technician today, was there much difficulty with the wax?
IB: No, actually it was pretty straight forward, it was Swix 45 for Mulitgrade which worked pretty good, the track was solid so it was pretty easy for glide – I think they also put on some powder.

Do you spend most of your time training here at Canmore?
IB: Yeah, it’s my favourite place for training, I like the uphills it’s really hard, but it’s what I need.

What keeps you motivated during the season?
IB: My wife, my son, my familyS they just keep me going. I enjoy it. Waiting for that moment when you get on the podium. That’s everything. It’s not all about the win, I’m not a great sprinter. But I just love what I do, I do it for myself, for my family.

Do you listen to any music while you train?
IB: Yeah, sometimes I listen to music, books just something interestingS any kind of music, whatever is popular on the radio.

What are you doing next weekend?
IB: I’m heading to Soldier Hollow in Utah, for the SuperTour there. I try to mix it up, a little bit here, a little bit there with different trails, and competing against different skiers.

Is skate or classic better for you?
IB: Skate is my best event.

After a short break for the awards ceremony Ivan returned.

Lets talk about Team XC.com – how new of a team is that for you?
IB: Actually not so new, when I came to Canada in 2003, I started right away with XC.com, it wasn’t that big, it wasn’t ‘so cool’ back then. But now it its one of the biggest teams in North America, it’s really professional, they do everything they can to improve our skiing, and its great.

What kind of support do they provide for you guys?
IB: Everything they can, everything we need. They’ve given us equipment, gloves, boots, and skis, wax our skis, dusting, just everything – it makes it much easier for us to race.

How many people are on the team? IB: About 6 men, and 4 women.

You’re on Salomon skis – how many years have you been with them?
IB: Three, maybe four years now. When I started they were a fairly new brand in skis, and that was a bit scary for awhile, but I got to test them, and they are really good skis. I feel very confident on Salomon and am very satisfied with the quality of the skis. They’re always good.

As far as your training, what is a typical training week for you once the snow is here?
IB: It depends, if it’s the beginning of the season like in November I try to do long training runs – as much skiing as I can, about 22-25 hours a week. When competition approaches I have to be ready and work on my speed too. It’s really hard to keep in shape, because there are many races so close to each other. Sometimes you have no time for training in between races, and you also need to take time to rest and get fresh for the next start line.

Just race and recover basically?
IB: Exactly, just compete at a race, and then recover, but you need some training in between as well. Sometimes you need to sacrifice an upcoming weekend for goals that you’re preparing for two weekends from now – so it can be challenging.

What do you do in the off season to stay in shape?
IB: In the spring I take a month off initially just to take time to rest and get my energy levels back. During the summer it’s hard work with lots of running, roller skiing, and work outs at the gym.

Do you spend anytime on the bike at all?
IB: Oh yeah, if I get tired of running and roller skiing I spend some time on the bike. Sometimes it’s whatever I feel like at the time.

Do you spend training by yourself, or do you have training partners?
IB: Most of the time it’s by myself but sometimes I train with friends. But if I see someone on the road, it’s like ‘ok, lets go!’ But most of the time I train by myself. I like to be alone to help keep my focus on what I’m doing, and how I’m doing it. That works best for me.

What’s your favourite pre-race meal?
IB: Ha, ha, oatmeal and chocolate! Maybe some fruit, but I always have the chocolate.

What do you have after the race?
IB: Whatever I see! Sometimes I’m so tired, and so hungry, I’ll eat whatever I see.

Thank you for talking with us and good luck this season!
IB: Thank you