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Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo doesn’t like this hill . . . he’s a sprinter, after all: he powers up short, punchy hills on his way to shrug-punctuated finish lines. That’s the way World Cups are won in the 21st century. But immortality—the kind to which Klaebo aspires—is purchased at a rather higher price, one that is paid with Olympic medals, on World Championship podiums, and atop Val di Fiemme’s Alpe Cermis. The Tour de Ski concluded on that lofty summit today, and Klaebo appeared determined to do his best in securing another bit of history.
Though other climbers ruled the stage, Klaebo measured his effort up the climb to claim his fourth Tour de Ski overall victory (tying the record of the immortal Dario Cologna). Klaebo finished only 18th on the day’s stage, but managed to preserve a 1:23 overall margin over Mika Vermeulen (AUT), and 1:43 over third place, Friederich Moch (GER).
Zanden McMullen and Ben Ogden crossed the line 19th and 20th, only seconds behind Klaebo. Other North American Finishers included Canadas’ Antoine Cyr in 23rd and Olivier Leveille 29th, and American Jack Young in 53rd.
In other remarkable sprinter-news, Federico Pellegrino (ITA) climbed the Alpe Cermis in seventh place, good enough to finish fourth overall, just 2:13 behind Klaebo in the final standings.
Climbing the Alpe Cermis
Tour de Ski overall standings at the beginning of stage 7 looked like this:
- Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (NOR) 2:50:24
- Erik Valnes (NOR) +2:18
- Haavard Moseby (NOR) +2:29
- Mika Vermeulen (AUT) +2:29
- Hugo Lapalus (FRA) +2:44
- Federico Pellegrino (ITA) +2:56
- Jan Thomas Jenssen (NOR) +2:59
- Andreas Fjorden Ree (NOR) +3:04
- Mathis Desloges (FRA) +3:12
- Edvin Anger (SWE) +3:17
Klaebo had a large cushion to preserve. He wouldn’t need to contend for the win on Alpe Cermis; he’d need only to monitor his rivals and concentrate on damage control.
In Stage 7, the tracks of the earliest kilometers are three-skiers wide, so there is less positioning to worry about, less jostling, less urgency. Until the six kilometer mark, the course is basically flat, following the course of Italy’s famed Marcia Longa marathon race. The final four kilometers, though, are decidedly different, climbing up the slopes of the Alpe Cermis Alpine ski area. Sprint points were offered at six kilometers (at the base of the climb) where Jannik Riebli confirmed his defense of the silver Sprint bib. That contest concluded, the race could begin in earnest.
Leading his rivals by nearly three minutes in the overall standings, Klaebo remained at or near the front as the course ran along the river at the bottom of the valley. Once the course turned uphill, the climbers moved to the front. Mika Vermeulen led the bottom slopes (the steepest on the mountain at 28%) followed by Simen Hegstad Kreuger. Klaebo did his best to mark their accelerations.
Halfway up the climb, the pace was made by Kreuger, followed by Vermeulen and Hugo Lapalus (FRA). Krueger began the day 7:10 behind Klaebo, so he did not represent a serious threat. Vermeulen had begun the day at 2:29 back, Lapalus at 2:44. Both seemed focused on the final podium, but neither seemed poised to challenge Klaebo for the overall win.
Kreuger continued pushing the pace, followed only by Vermeulen. The race for the stage win was down to two men as Lapalus and Friederich Moch (GER) had fallen off the pace. For Klaebo, it was a case of doing his work while making sure not to go too hard. Climbing the Alpe would be difficult enough for a sprinter like Klaebo, but if he overextended, he could blow up and lose it all.
After his initial time-losses on the lower slopes, Klaebo held the gap some 90 seconds behind Kreuger who would cross the finish line in 32: 39. Vermeulen finished seven seconds later, followed closely by Moch in third. Lapalus finished fourth to cement his hold on the Climber’s bib. Shepherded by his teamate, Haavard Moseby, Klaebo crossed the line in 18th place, 1:13 behind the winner—good enough to seal up the Tour de Ski overall win. His 18th place preserved a winning margin of 1:23 over Vermeulen.
With the mid-Tour withdrawal of Harald Oestberg Amundsen, Klaebo’s win in the Tour de Ski makes it very unlikely that anyone else could overtake him in the chase for the FIS World Cup overall championship. While Klaebo’s primary focus probably remains the individual events at the World Championships later this season in Trondheim, he is sure to be satisfied with his hold on the Crystal Globe. That’s another piece of history—another source of legacy—that Klaebo has certainly earned . . . even on humbling days like the ones when he has climbed the Alpe Cermis.
Alpe Cermis Freestyle 10 k RESULTS
John Teaford
John Teaford—the Managing Editor of FasterSkier — has been the coach of Olympians, World Champions, and World Record Holders in six sports: Nordic skiing, speedskating, road cycling, track cycling, mountain biking, triathlon. In his long career as a writer/filmmaker, he spent many seasons as Director of Warren Miller’s annual feature film, and Producer of adventure documentary films for Discovery, ESPN, Disney, National Geographic, and NBC Sports.
