Slind and Johaug Dominate 15-k Classic Pursuit. Diggins 6th, Relinquishes Tour Lead

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Part of the attraction of the Tour de Ski is the quick ebb and flow of the leader board. One day you’re sitting on top of the world with a big lead, and the next day you’re wondering where it all went. American star Jessie Diggins is thick in the middle of riding the Tour’s roller coaster. She went into yesterday’s 20 kilometer Freestyle race with a minute plus lead over three time Tour winner Therese Johaug (NOR), only to find that lead quickly shrunk to 41 seconds. At the start of today’s race, the formidable Kerttu Niskanen (FIN) was sitting in second place only 22 seconds behind Diggins, and the sudden darling of the Tour, Astrid Oeyre Slind (NOR) was a scant 32 seconds back in third place, when today’s event, the 15 kilometer Classic Pursuit began.

But in this year’s Tour, Diggins has already performed against type twice, having won both a Sprint and a Classic race—neither considered her strength. So, the hope for the American star going into today’s race was that she would again perform against type.

There was also an upside to yesterday’s time loss; it meant that in the Pursuit format, Diggins would start sixth, 37 seconds behind Slind (in a new format, starting spots are based on yesterday’s finish). So instead of being the hunted, Diggins would now be doing the hunting. She would also have the added benefit of starting off sandwiched between Victoria Karl (GER), Katherine Stewart-Jones (CAN), and Heidi Weng, which would give her the opportunity to join fast company to help close the starting gap on Slind who would start the race four seconds in front of Johaug. Slind has made her living for several years off long Classic races on the Ski Classics circuit, and she would have to be considered dangerous in any Distance Classic race.

Another skier also performing against type was Niskanen, who is best known for her Classic prowess. But Niskanen finished a strong third in yesterday’s Freestyle race and would be one of the favorites going into today’s Classic Pursuit.

In another development with the potential to affect the Tour’s outcome, Maja Dahlqvist (SWE) did not start yesterday. She joined a growing list of Swedish women—including Johanna Hagstroem—on the sidelines. Both racers are usually in the mix for podiums, and their absence would now have the potential to affect race outcomes.

But after the race was over the top Norwegians were able to regain dominance in the Classic technique with Slind and Johaug working together the entire race to control the field. Slind finished slightly ahead of Johaug with Niskanen taking third. But from the early kilometers there was a sense of inevitability as Slind and Johaug teamed up to work together relentlessly pushing the pace that no one else could come close to matching.

Diggins didn’t have a group to work with until about 5 kilometers into the race when she settled in with Heidi Weng (NOR) and Stewart-Jones. But they simply couldn’t match the firepower of Slind and Johaug, though Diggins was still glad to have someone to work with. “I’m really grateful that I got to work with Heidi. That was really helpful for both of us.” Diggins finished 2:08 behind the leaders and she now sits in fourth, 1:01 behind Slind in the Overall Tour standings. Despite losing time Diggins remained upbeat. “I’m really proud of that race, I battled through a lot of pain out there, and was pushing for every single second. Yeah, the time was not indicative of my fitness levels, or what I know I can do on a perfect day, but at the same time, you get the day that you have, right here, right now, and I did everything I could, and I’m proud of that.”

Johaug is in second place, six seconds back with Niskanen in third 28 seconds behind. Heidi Weng’s fortunes have fallen, while she is in fifth place Overall, she is over two minutes behind Slind, which is likely to be an insurmountable hurdle for her.

Other American finishers today were Sophia Laukli 17^th, Julia Kern 25^th, and Rosie Brennan 31^st. Alayna Sonnesyn did not start, and her Tour is now over.

Katherine Stewart-Jones had another career great day finishing seventh. Liliane Gagnon was the other Canadian skier, she finished 32^nd.

It was a good showing for Laukli, “I think today was a pretty big improvement for my Classic skiing.” She continued that, “I could ski with a lot of strong Classic skiers and normally I’m not able to do that, so in that sense it was good.”

Women’s 15 Kilometer Classic Pursuit

It was a gorgeous cloudless bluebird day in Toblach for the start of stage four, as Slind started the race first out of the gate onto the three-lap race. Johaug began only four seconds behind Slind and went out quickly to bridge the gap to start working with Slind. The pair were double poling in unison by the time they hit the 1.7 kilometer mark. At this point they were the only Tour leaders who were in a position to be able to work together, and it was quickly paying dividends. Niskanen was trying to close the gap on Slind and Johaug, but in a theme which would continue throughout the race, she was working on her own and was unable to keep up with the Norwegians.

A half a kilometer later, Diggins had caught Stewart-Jones but initially didn’t spend time working with her as she passed the Canadian, but everyone in the field was now losing time to the two leaders who were constantly working together and were powering through the course on a level no one could match.

As the skiers hit the five kilometer mark the theme remained the same. Slind and Johaug working together with the rest of the top Overall contenders struggling on their own or in their own small groups to keep the pace. Behind Diggins, Weng and Stewart-Jones had finally joined together and were able to catch up to Diggins. The three were now able to ski as a trio, giving some hope to Diggins who was losing time to the leaders in every kilometer.

But Slind and Johaug’s lead continued to grow the further they skied. At the 6.7 kilometer mark Diggins was now 1:07 behind the leaders and her Overall Tour lead was gone. She continued to struggle as Weng and Stewart-Jones took over the lead in their trio.

At 8.0 kilometers Diggins was clearly working hard as she appeared to need a lot of effort to set her kick wax even though she had lots of kick wax. “I felt like I had really great kick,” said Diggins. “I asked for a lot on purpose, and also, I own that, because it may have slowed them down a little, but at the same time, I knew I was going to need a lot of kick out there today.” While the leaders in the Tour were desperately trying to keep up with Slind and Weng, Sophia Laukli (USA) was working with a group of her own and was in 13^th place. It was a strong performance for the American who is an excellent Distance skier but has always struggled with Classic.

Two-thirds of the way through the race, Slind and Johaug continued to punish the rest of the field with their lead having grown to 43 seconds over Niskanen and 1:36 ahead of the Diggins group.

With 3.3 kilometers left the outcome of the race wasn’t in doubt. Either Slind or Johaug would cross the finish line first, the only questions remaining were how much time they would put into Diggins and when would they begin to start racing each other and not work together? In the meantime, Diggins was still with Weng and Stewart-Jones who was turning in another tremendous race.

Slind and Johaug didn’t appear too interested in expending extra energy to take the stage win as the Norwegian duo were still together as they entered the stadium. Slind approached the finish area first maintaining a brisk double poling pace. Johaug had no answer for her teammate who easily kept Johaug at arm’s length to take the victory. Both skiers looked remarkably fresh, comfortable, and relaxed after finishing. Niskanen was able to finish within a minute of Slind and Johaug to take third.

Still on the course, Diggins continued to push with Weng and Stewart-Jones still with her. But at the finish Weng double poled ahead of Diggins who finished 2:08 behind Slind and was now over a minute behind in the Overall lead. Sophia Laukli was able to hang on to finish 17^th, a good finish for her in a Classic race.

For Diggins it was a tough day as she skied well but like the rest of the field had no answer for the lead Norwegians. The silver lining for Diggins is that the next race is another Sprint, but it’s a Classic Sprint which isn’t her best event. However, neither Slind nor Johaug is known for their Sprinting prowess so there is still an opportunity for her to retake the lead. But looking further down the Tour road, if Diggins is going to have an opportunity to win, she will not only have to re-establish a lead, but she will need to create a cushion before the final race of the Tour, the epic climb up Alpe Cermis which is one of Johaug’s best events.

 

2024/25 Tour de Ski overall standings (after Stage 4):