Tour de Ski – Thunder:

VAL DI FIEMME (Dagbladet): Johannes Hosflott Klæbo won Friday’s race in Italy, ahead of Calle Halfvarsson and Simone Mocellini.

In doing so, Klæbo has a strong lead heading into the final two stages of the Tour.

On Saturday, a 15-kilometer classic combined start awaits. Klæbo will certainly be attacked from all sides, but Russian sports commentator Andrej Shitikhin is disappointed that the attackers on the field have not attacked him more than once.

Russia responds

in a comment for championship Focusing specifically on the 20 km in Oberstdorf, he notes that Russian athletes would never have accepted such a race:

– 20 kilometers far enough to break up the field. But no one took the chance. They said it wasn’t possible on the road, but look what Frida Carlson and Krista Barmakoski did, Shitikhin writes.

continued:

– Yes, Klæbo was willing, and it is not certain that he could have been matched. But the fact that there are no tests gives Klæbo a trump card. When you act like this, they not only do themselves a disservice, they do a disservice to the sport. Without the Russians, it’s not interesting at all.

discussed

What was possible on the road in Oberstdorf was hotly discussed earlier in the week. Sjur Røthe was among the athletes who tried, while an able athlete like Hans Christer Holund made it clear to Dagbladet that he saw no point in trying.

The Italian thanked Pellegrino for the pace that had been maintained:

– I was waiting for them to click, but it never happened. When I saw the 10 red jerseys ahead of me heading towards the final hill, I thought, ‘This is happening again now,'” Pellegrino told Dagbladet in Oberstdorf, “but they weren’t pleased enough.

The Swedish duo Calle Halfvarsson and William Poromaa have been clear that withdrawal is not possible under the current circumstances, and they do not agree with the criticism from Russia.

Tough fight

It is expected to be a difficult stage on Saturday. Klæbo has 58 seconds below Calle Halfvarsson, and Federico Pellegrino, Pål Golberg and Sindre Bjørnestad Skar are all behind him.

In the places behind you, follow the pace fours Simen Hegstad Krüger, Didrik Tønseth, Hans Christer Holund and Sjur Røthe. Everyone has a good reason to get high speed.

– It has not been decided yet. 58 seconds fly by on the last hill if you get it. I think tomorrow is going to be an important race, and we’ve historically seen it as one of the toughest races we’ve run of the year,” says Klæbo.

Friday sprint quarter-finalist Semin Hegstad-Kruger also predicts speed:

– I’ll assume it will be a slightly different gender. I’ve wasted time at that point before. It’s a hard day. You are close to the finish line, but you need to focus on this stage. It’s going to be a really tough ski race, Kruger tells Dagbladet.

– I expect that there will be speed and that there will be air between the runners. I hope I’m strong enough to be there,” Gulberg tells Dagbladet.

He wants to speed up the pitch, says Diederik Tonseth, and he can bring Emil Iversen with him:

– If I had good skates, I think it would be very exciting. It’s a very tough track, so 15 kilometers will be tough. There are several Norwegians who are doing a bit poorly today, who have to put seconds in the bank for each other. I think it will be a run,” Iversen tells Dagbladet.