In the end, there wasn't any massive drama, though we probably saw a bit of an artistic slump from de Fabian. Of course, things might have played out quite differently if we hadn't dealt with that mass start on the final climb, because I'm convinced that we would have seen some shifts in the standings—for instance, Niskanen definitely wouldn't have held onto that podium spot if it had turned into a pure sprint finish. That said, the top 10 on that final ascent was incredibly interesting; it’s been ages since the men's results looked this diverse. We saw two Germans, Esteva from Andorra, and then a Japanese racer rounding out the top nine at Baba.🙏
Johannesهِ Kleeb absolutely dominated and earned his title deservedly, whereas nepryayev just had a bit of luck on her side. Still, you could argue she's finally seeing some payback, especially since she already has two other second-place finishes at TDS, making this her first overall win for an American athlete at TDS.
What an absolute masterclass from Johannesهِ Kleeb! It just goes to show he’s in a league of his much own right now—he didn't even need to rely on that signature late sprint because he simply powered through the field from the front.
It looks like nepryayev has likely sealed the win at TDS. With F. Karlsson bowing out of the competition, it’s honestly such a shame things wrapped up this way. I can't help but think that if she were competing at the upcoming meet in Aspen, we would have seen a nail-biting battle right down to the final stretch for the overall title.
Klaebo performed exactly how everyone anticipated. Honestly, I feel like they should scrap the mass start in Cross-country skiing entirely, or at least limit it to just a handful of races. It’s a different story in biathlon, though—I don't mind the mass start there because the shooting adds such a unique layer of tension and dynamic to the race.
What an incredible day for the Niskanen family! Ivo just confirmed he’s officially the king of Cross-country skiing classic technique. Bolshunov is looking seriously strong too—it really feels like his form is on a steep upward trajectory. And let's not forget Klaebo, who was absolutely stellar out there; he didn't lose much ground at all.
I honestly thought Ivo was out of the running after seeing how she sprinted through those brutal conditions. It was clearly a nightmare for the wax techs; they were struggling just to get the skis ready because half the crew seemed to be coming down with the flu. This could very well be the defining race of her entire career.
Gary Ward20 said:I honestly think Diggins can definitely give Karlsson a run for her money, especially since we only have one individual start on distance races—and that’s even with classic technique. I'm not sure why they didn't make the final climb a pursuit instead of having three mass starts. If Diggins finds her rhythm in the sprints and manages to hang with Karlsson during those mass starts, we are looking at a very exciting Tour de Ski. Unfortunately, with this current lineup of events lacking real distance races, it's going to be tough for skiers like Kruger to really shine.
It’s such a shame what they’ve done to the Tour de Ski. We used to have those legendary pursuits through the woods at Cortina d'Ampezzo that went over 19 miles km. For me, that was what the Tour de Ski was all about.
I completely agree, mostly because I totally overlooked one massive factor: the bonus seconds. It’s almost ridiculous how much they reward sprint wins, yet for the distance races, we only get bonus seconds in Stage 5. It isn't just disappointing that we're missing the race at Cortina d'Ampezzo; it's the fact that throughout the entire Cross-country skiing season, we only have one skiathlon and one "royal" race. Since it's an Olympic year, we'll get two 31 miles, which is actually the perfect number for any Cross-country skiing season, but the number of skiathlons is embarrassingly low. In my opinion, five skiathlons would be ideal for a single season, plus maybe another freestyle/classic race of 19 miles km, so that distance specialists don't feel left behind. Those 10/9.3 miles km races are really just warm-ups.😁 Of course, they also need to overhaul the points system so that sprint victories don't earn nearly as many points as the distance races.
The new edition of the TDS kicks off tomorrow with the sprints! They’ve actually cut two races from last year's schedule, which might explain why such a massive chunk of the elite field is showing up despite the Olympic interference. On the women's side, it'll be a bit different without the legendary Johaug, and looking at the men, it seems like we won't see Ustygov out there either. That puts Karlsson right at the top of the list as the heavy favorite for the overall win, whereas the men's division looks like it's going to be an absolute blast with a heated battle brewing between Klaeb, Bolshunov, and Kruger...
In my opinion, Boston is always the most underwhelming stop on the Skilled Trades circuit. There’s never any snow, and clearly, everyone else feels the same since the top contenders never seem to show up there.
Dahlqvist continues the downward trend in the sprints.
neonjackal2 said:Bolshunov didn't start today, though honestly, it wouldn't have changed much at the top of the standings anyway.
I’m really curious to see if another Norwegian will decide to skip the Tour de Ski again.
It's pretty clear that Bolshunov isn't quite in peak form yet despite having one win under his belt; he dealt with some injury issues before the season kicked off, and today he was trailing quite far behind the winner, Kruger, who just secured his second victory on the 9.3 miles World Cup. Klaebo was fantastic once again, and I'm rooting for Ustiugov to maintain this kind of level throughout the entire season. Johaug struck back by taking the win at 6.2 miles, and it was great to see three American women land in the top 4. Davos is actually one of my favorite stops on the World Cup circuit because the atmosphere is always incredible—maybe we should see more races held here! As for the Tour de Ski, I fully expect the heavy hitters to sit this one out.
Klaebo is absolutely dominating the sprints again—just a walk in the park for him today. Ž Dahlqvist is absolutely on fire right now! She’s keeping that sprint winning streak alive with her third consecutive victory. It was such a wild race, though—she actually ended up helping Brennan, who was leading the pack before taking a nasty fall on that final climb. Truly incredible stuff to watch!
I just caught the replay of yesterday’s Ž relay, and I have to say, seeing the Russian team pull ahead of both the Swedes and Norwegians was a total surprise—especially with Stepanov looking so dominant in that final stretch. It is actually wild to think about the stats here; this marks the first time the Russian women have snagged a relay win in the World Cup since they took it all back in the 2004/05 season at Val di Fiemme. It’s going to be fascinating to see how these three national teams set their lineups for the Olympics, specifically deciding who takes the classical legs and who handles the freestyle. Of course, everything depends on the track layout and the overall difficulty, but if it were me, I’d always put a sprinter on that anchor leg. After all, 3.1 milesit isn't a massive distance, and a fast finisher can always draft off a pack to make up ground.
I didn't catch the men's relay, but it’s hardly shocking to see two Norwegians and two Russians sitting in the top 4; it’s basically a mirror image of the individual races.
The competition in the men's field is looking pretty bleak right now. It feels like we’re stuck watching the same two nations dominate everything. Looking at today's TOP 15, only Novak and Manificat managed to break through from outside those two powerhouses. Even though the Russians definitely underperformed today—with only Chervotkin cracking the top 10—it still feels like a closed loop. As for Ž Frida, she was absolutely hammering Johaug on the distance race, finishing at 6.2 miles F, just a mere 0.3 seconds behind her.
A Swedish kid in the final! Honestly, massive respect to Boll—to play at this level during the World Championships at age 40, especially coming back from an injury, is incredible. I can definitely feel those old bones aching whenever a rally starts getting long.😁 Wang knocked out the world number one in a spectacular match, all while those idiots on the US broadcast kept using a camera angle that basically blocked the table.
I honestly wasn't convinced Johaug would pull off a win today after watching yesterday's race; Weng clearly looked like she was in peak form. As for those withdrawals among the women, it was quite the international affair. Stupak and Sorina didn't even line up for the Russians, and then you had three Norwegians, two Finns, the Swede Dyvik, the Canadian Lampić, and more...
There doesn't seem to be any boycott happening with the women's races, at least based on the live timing, since there isn't a single broadcast or stream available anywhere. Even the Russians aren't boycotting it, and they usually go out of their way to cover everything.
Don't be like that! Every Swede and Finn except for Ivo is here. At this rate, you'll end up being angry only at the Norwegians.😁 But they are always looking for an excuse to play games; for instance, last year they barely showed up to the World Cup because of some COVID fears.
What an absolute turnaround by Liang against Calderan, who was sitting pretty at 3-0!🙏 And man, old man Boll just won't quit—what an absolute legend, especially considering he’s fighting his way back after that injury. If I had to pick a headline for this tournament, he’d be my top choice, though it won't be easy; he still has to get past the Swede Moregard before facing either Fan or Liang in the final.
As for the Women's final, it's total dominance from the Chinese women, who have once again swept all the semifinal spots.