Toblach 20 k—Amundsen Goes All In

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In an earlier age of cross-country skiing, nearly all races were against the clock (not mass start events). One-by-one, skiers disappeared into thick forests, there to battle conditions and strategies and personal demons on their way to distant finish lines. It was an old fashioned test of determination and fitness, an unforgiving contest that’s been all but forgotten by modern skiing’s lap-courses and sprints and mass-starts. It’s been said that the Tour de Ski is going soft . . . but not today.

Stage Three of the 2024-2025 Tour de Ski was a daunting 20 k Freestyle Interval Start racing across a single 20 kilometer lap up and down the valley above Toblach, Italy. Everybody raced the same course, but some paid for it more dearly than others. The question to consider is whether or not those who went all in on today’s 20 kilometer course will still have the energy to contend as the Tour de Ski continues.

The Tour de Ski began with Sprint and Mass Start Distance events, allowing sprinters to stay near the front of affairs. At the start of Stage Three, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) enjoyed a 34 second lead over his nearest competitor, Richard Jouve (FRA). Italian sprinter Federico Pellegrino (ITA) occupied third, Edvin Anger (SWE) fourth, Ben Ogden (USA) fifth, Erik Valnes (NOR) sixth. But lurking just behind them was a menacing pack of the world’s best Distance skiers led by Gus Schumacher (USA) only two seconds behind Valnes, and reigning Tour de Ski champion—and World Cup Overall champion—Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR) who sat only twenty seconds behind Valnes, 1:02 behind Klaebo. Canada’s Antoine Cyr began the day in 11th place, just 1:15 from the lead.

But all that was about to change . . .

With a fifth place finish, Klaebo managed to maintain his overall lead in the Tour de Ski. But Amundsen clawed back 46 seconds, putting himself in position to contend through the remainder of the tour.

Ogden blazed to a fantastic ninth place—just under a minute behind Amundsen—to secure a position in the top three of current Tour standings.

“Today will absolutely go down as my best distance race ever!” said Ogden. “Really pumped with that and with the progress I have made in skate in the last few years.”

In the finishing area, Ogden pointed jubilantly to his binding system, noting that this was his first World Cup experience for the new boot/binding design created for Madshus by Rottefella.

Schumacher led the rest of the American finishers in 34th, followed by Zanden McMullen 52nd, JC Schoonmaker 53rd, Jack Young 71st. Among Canadians, Olivier Leveille finished the day in 48th, followed by Cyr who tumbled down the overall standings with a 56th place finish.

20 k Freestyle Interval Start

Climbing gradually to the base of the Drei Zinnen Alpine ski area at the top of the valley near the Olympic hamlet of Cortina d’Ampezzo, Toblach’s 20 k Freestyle course offered fewer steep climbs than the typical World Cup course. Even so, the possibility of misjudging the challenges of the distance was a very real threat to any racer’s performance and, ultimately, to their place in the overall standings. It’s a risky prospect—start too fast, and you’ll swim the final kilometers through a murky sea of lactic acid. Start too slow, and you’ll never make up the time at the end.

Pre-race interviews included commentary on the Toblach-Drei Zinnen course from former Tour de Ski champion, Petter Northug (NOR). “The crucial part is to find the right speed in the beginning,” said Northug. “It’s a tough 10 k, so the right speed the first 2 k is the key.”

For Amundsen, the “right speed” seemed to be pedal to the metal. He started faster than anyone else, and still found himself able to hang on to that speed all the way to the finish line.

Amundsen started 44th followed by Klaebo who started 58th. By the first time check at 2.1 kilometers, Amundsen had already begun to build a considerable lead announcing his intention to press the issue, and return himself to the top of the results.

Simen Hegstad Krueger (NOR) was able to chase down his teammate, Jan Thomas Jensen. They would pair up through the entire race, though mid-race camera angles usually showed Krueger to be leading the pair (so he was not receiving as much of an advantageous draft as he might’ve hoped). Ultimately, Krueger raced his way to the second step of the podium.

Klaebo came through the first time check at 2.1 kilometers a full 21 seconds behind Amundsen, a gap that would stretch to over 40 seconds at the 10.6 kilometer time check. It was obvious that Amundsen was throwing caution to the wind in his search for time advantages in the overall standings.

Andrew Musgrave (GBR) stormed through all early time checks, fighting bravely to a podium finish behind Amundsen and Krueger.

Ultimately, Klaebo conceded 46 seconds to Amundsen in the overall standings. Perhaps it was a calculated effort to save a bit of energy in contrast to Amundsen’s all-in strategy. Or perhaps Amundsen simply took this opportunity to put his stamp on this Tour and establish a level of distance-dominance that will lead him to victory atop Alpe Cermis at the end of the week.

“I wanted to have revenge from the first two races,” Amundsen said during post-race interviews. “I was ready to be fast in the beginning, and maybe the opening was a bit too hard. But I was able to adjust during the race and from the top 10 k down I was quite fast . . . just an incredible race for me.”

Tour de Ski racing continues tomorrow with a Classic Pursuit race with start positions based on results from today’s Interval Start race. Ogden expressed the bold strategy shared by most racers at this level:

Men’s 20 k Interval Start RESULTS