But for now, the focus is on cross-country skiing, often cited as the hardest sport, with athletes pushing their hearts and lungs to near maximum output (cross-country skiers record some of the highest VOâ‚‚ max values ever measured). Explosive upper-body power is required to pole uphill and leg strength to drive on climbs, as well as mental grit and, of course, the ability to cope with dangerous conditions.
‘It’s not an easy sport at all’ is Gabriel’s deprecating take. ‘Every part of your body is used at every second of your time on skis. It’s very gruelling, but at the same time, it’s an amazing sport if you want to get fit or enjoy nature.’
Unsurprisingly, the training is intense and geared towards expanding oxygen capacity. Along with running, cycling and strength training – all while monitoring heart rate and lactate levels – there’s also roller-skiing in the absence of snow. This involves clambering onto skis, cut short and fitted with wheels, then racing on asphalt. ‘It’s the closest thing you’ll get to skiing,’ Gabriel says. Training takes place all over the world – at camps in the Italian Alps and the Pyrenees – then chasing snow: racing on a glacier in Norway, a ski tunnel in Sweden and, of course, Lillehammer’s slopes. He follows a strict, nutritionist-approved diet. ‘The more kilos you have on your body, the harder it’s going to be when you go uphill. Your body is your workplace.’
Now, the Winter Olympics beckon. And yet, in what seems a particularly cruel way of doing things, Gabriel doesn’t know for certain if he’s going. He’s on the Great Britain team with Andrew Musgrave, 35, and Andrew Young, 33, both of whom have competed at four Olympic Games, as well as Joe Davies, 24, who is simultaneously studying at the University of Utah, and James Clugnet, 29, who lives just up the road in Lillehammer. But as of now, Gabriel tells me, the team has only three spots confirmed for the Olympics and no word on which of the athletes will be assigned them. They will not find out until January – just weeks before the Games kick off
Tough and ready: Gabriel has his sights set on the upcoming Winter Olympics, hoping to represent Great Britain in a sport described as ‘notoriously, almost inhumanly, exhausting’. Above, both styled in Dolce and Gabbana Alta Moda
Luc Braquet