VAL DI FIEMME (VG) Johannes Husfluth Klæbo completed another strong race in the Tour de Ski and claimed his 46th individual World Cup victory. Now the monster hill is waiting.
The body plays well in teams. The sleds were absolutely amazing. I had a good day, Klæbo tells VG.
“For my part, it’s the toughest thing I’ve seen in a distance race,” said Frederic Auckland, an expert on NRK radio broadcasts.
With the win, Klæbo broke Bjørn Dæhlie’s record: 46 individual World Cup winners. He managed it in just 97 attempts. It means victory in every other race he starts. In total, he ended up on the podium 64 times.
Dæhlie achieved her 46th victory when she was 31 years old. Johannes Husfluth Klebow is 25 years old.
– I didn’t think about the numbers, but I heard I was like a Dæhlie in town. Klæbo says it’s great that it’s happening remotely and shows I’ve done a lot right.
– These are extreme numbers. It is impressive. I’ve been up for the past years and have been on a team with many, but Johannes is unique in his own way and very dedicated. It has solid speed characteristics and is good in both styles, both the interval start and the combined start, Sjur Røthe tells VG after witnessing Monday’s performance up close.
He had already driven the Tour de Ski more than a minute before 15 kilometers on Monday in Trøndelag’s preferred style.
Then it came as no surprise that the 25-year-old was at the front of the field from the very first moment, making sure to grab some extra sprint points and seconds along the way.
Klæbo took Finn Iivo Niskanen for a ride up to the next bonus point of 8.5 km, after which no one was able to follow the duo. Bolshunov woke up too late. In the end, Klæbo also distanced the Finns and was allowed to walk peacefully for the past few kilometers.
– It is absolutely unbelievable what is happening now. It’s one of the toughest tracks in the World Cup. Auckland said Klæbo is now fully operational in his own classroom.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen it better in a joint start,” commenter Jan Post continued.
He makes sports boring when he’s so superior, says Pål Golberg with a twinkle in his eye.
Johannes Høflot now leads the Klæbo Tour de Ski at exactly two minutes. The biggest win difference in this round was Bolshunov’s victory last year by three minutes against Maurice Magnificat.
– It will be difficult for whoever comes after Klæbo to defeat him. Not over yet. He’s very complete, says coach Arield Monsen.
Everything will be decided up the alpine slope of Val di Fiemme on Tuesday.
note! Klæbo still has little left if he intends to take the record to Marit Bjørgen. She stands with 114 World Cup winners.
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