Stenshagen Conquers Alpe Cermis, Klaebo Rules Tour de Ski

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In its original configuration (and for many seasons that followed), the final stage of the Tour de Ski was a Pursuit race—perhaps the only Pursuit race that actually made sense in the context of the World Cup tour. The leader went off with the advantage they’d earned during the course of the Tour; everyone else chased. The first skier to the top of Ape Cermis was the winner of the Tour de Ski. In the past few years, though, organizers began thinking that the final day’s racing would be more exciting if it adopted a mass start format. So, today’s final stage was one in which all remaining competitors departed the starting line together. The contenders would battle it out on the slopes of the Alpe Cermis, hoping to manage the gaps to their competitors and to maintain the positions each had earned during the week of grueling racing in Toblach and Val di Fiemme. The stage was set for the climb up the Alpe Cermis.

Ultimately, the stage was one by Mattis Stenshagen (NOR) just ahead of Jules LaPierre (FRA). A resurgent and rejuvenated Emil Iversen (NOR) claimed the third spot on the day’s podium, followed by Savelii Korostelev (AIN) who is beginning to establish himself as a contender in World Cup events as skiers begin setting their sights on the Olympic Winter Games beginning next month in Milano-Cortina. North American skiers were led to the summit by Antoine Cyr (CAN) in 13th place. Gus Schumacher (USA) would climb bravely, fading to 16th on the stage but still managing to preserve his seventh place overall finish (best ever for an American man in the Tour de Ski). Ben Ogden (USA) would maintain his position in the field, coming across the line 22nd and followed by Zak Ketterson was 35th, Graham Ritchie (CAN) 40th, Remi Drolet (CAN) 45th.

“My goal was to get top ten, coming in,” recalled Schumacher. “It’s nice to have a solid tour, with some really bright spots like the 5 k . . . In mass starts, I’m feeling really comfortable skiing with (the leaders) in the Pursuit, the 5 k Mass Start, and today. It’s nice to be comfortable with the leaders.”

“Today I was more energetic than I expected,” said Ogden. “But I don’t really race this often enough to have an idea of how long it is, or how much it’s gonna hurt.”

But it was the overall Tour de Ski lead of Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo that everyone was interested in—and the lead that all the other racers were hoping to reduce, or even overcome. Unsurprisingly, Klaebo’s 90 second cushion over his nearest rivals proved more than sufficient to preserve his overall victory in the 2026 Tour de Ski—his record-setting fifth overall victory in this annual event.

Stage 6—Alpe Cermis

Klaebo must be so tired of this stage . . . he’s skied this finish to the Tour de Ski many times before, each time knowing that he has a chance to win if only he can get to the top fast enough. Klaebo has made this climb before—and has claimed the Tour victory four other times—but it’s never been his strength. One year ago, he finished this stage 17th . . . fast enough for the win, but well behind a number of skiers who were also in today’s field. Today, in Val di Fiemme, Klaebo led at the start, offering a moderate pace while hoping to conserve energy for the climb. Inexplicably, his pace in the early kilometers was matched by Edvin Anger (SWE), a skier who excels only at sprinting, and whose body type—the guy is huge—really didn’t suggest that he’d be a contender on the steep slopes of the Alpe Cermis. Across the flats of the valley below Val di Fiemme they raced, knowing that the real challenge wouldn’t start until they reached the slopes of the Alpe Cermis.

All the starters must have approached the day with trepidation—climbing the Alpe Cermis is a daunting challenge—but perhaps nerves were even more on edge among the Norwegian team members, many of whom knew that today’s result might be the difference between qualifying for the Norwegian Olympic Team, or being left at home when the Games begin in Milano-Cortina next month.

Simen Hegstad Krueger (NOR) has won this stage three times in the past, but his recent performances did not suggest that he’d be a factor today. How crazy is it that a skier of Krueger’s pedigree finds himself on the bubble when it comes to selection for his nation’s Olympic team? Krueger is one of a number of Norwegians who knew their performance in Tour de Ski was perhaps the only way to get the attention of the Committee selecting the Norwegian Olympic Team. And in these 10 kilometers, his chances would fade dramatically. A three-time former winner of this stage up Alpe Cermis, Krueger would fade to 25th on the day—22nd in the overall standings—probably ending his Olympic quest. Just one spot ahead of Krueger, Andreas Fjorden Ree also may have seen his Olympic plans fading today on Alpe Cermis. Qualifying for a Norwegian Olympic Team may be the starkest test in all of cross-country skiing, and the Alpe Cermis is a definitively cruel proving ground, one that leaves former champions prostrate and gasping.

Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR) preserved his status on Team Norway with a fifth place finish on Alpe Cermis, but Lars Heggen (NOR)—who stood in second place at he beginning of the day—may find himself harshly criticized in Norway after dropping to 29th on the Alpe, and sixth overall. Ironically, what would be career-best finishes for nearly any other World Cup competitor could become the disastrous moment in Heggen’s career.

The Climb

The rate of attrition is high at the Tour de ski: only 69 of the original 122 starters remained to toe the starting line of the final stage. Klaebo began the day leading the Tour de Ski standings—1:23 ahead of Heggen, 1:29 over Stenhagen, and1:37 over former Tour winner, Amundsen who began the day in fourth position. Italy’s Federico Pellegrino still harbored ambitions of a final Toud podium; he sat in fifth, 1:40 back, and trailing two skiers (Stenshagen and Heggen) who had never before climbed the Alpe. Potential exstedfor plenty of positions to be shuffled, but not before the grueling climb of the Alpe Cermis was concluded.

Schumacher started in seventh position, moving past Anger into sixth as soon as the climbing began in earnest.When the course reached its steepest point (a 26+ percent grade), the stage was led by Stenshagen who was followed closely by LaPierre and Korostelev. Thereafter, the gap was growing ahead of Klaebo and the rest of the chasers.

“The first pitch is pretty shocking,” remembered Schumacher. “You climb for six minutes before it, then it’s like ‘Oh $#%, that’s an Alpine hill! . . . You’re not gliding at all, and there’s still eight minutes of climbing after that.”

Half way up the climb, much of Klaebo’s lead had evaporated. By the time racers reached the second steep section, Klaebo’s lead was barely 41 seconds. Lapierre was attempting to get away alone, effectively drawing even more effort out of Stenshagen. It would be a steep and punishing uphill drag race to the finish line.

Lapierre was hoping to script a second victory in the Alpe Cermis stage, but at the summit it was Stenshagen who stormed to the front, punching the air as he crossed the line for the stage win. He had a sizable stage-lead over Klaebo as the time-keeping vigil began—watching the clock to see if Klaebo would arrive soon enough to avoid overall defeat.

The finish line at the top of the Alpe Cermis might as well have been the selector for the Norwegian Olympic Team, as Iverson celebrated his third-place finish just ahead of Amundsen in fifth (with Korostelev between them in fourth). Klaebo crossed the line 12th, 58.0 seconds behind Stenshagen, but more than enough to preserve his advantage in the overall standings. For a record-setting fifth time, Klaebo would claim the overall victory in the Tour de Ski. And while Klaebo has not yet begun discussing the possibility of retiring at season’s end, this last climb up Alpe Cermis may have him thinking about it. After all these times racing from top to bottom, he probably never wants to do this again . . .

One step off the overall podium, Iversen appeared likely to join the Tour’s podium-finishers on the Norwegian team in Milano-Cortina, though it’s been suggested in the media that Stenshagen and Iversen—even after their tremendous performances in Val di Fiemme—may still be expected to prove their worth by finishing ahead of their domestic rivals at the upcoming Norwegian National Championships. How many times does a skier need to prove their point before they’re considered good enough to qualify to represent Norway in the Olympic Games? Lars Hegen may also find the answer to this question, as he started the day second overall but faded to sixth overall on the slopes of Alpe Cermis.

And the North Americans? Schumacher finally makes it to the finish of the Tour de Ski, claiming a hard-fought and richly-deserved seventh place.

“In the last few tries (Schumacher) has been in good standing midway through the Tour . . . but has come down with illness,”said on-air commentator, Kikkan Randall. “For him to come through with a solid top-ten performance—seventh overall—has got to be a one of the best-ever US Men’s finishes. He’s an athlete that looks to be on a trend to continue to build through this season. If he can use this Tour de Ski as a springboard, it can be great preparation fo the Olympics.”

Men’s Alpe Cermis Climb RESULTS

Men’s 2026 Tour de Ski FINAL STANDINGS

 

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