Saturday Race Rundown: Val di Fiemme’s Stage 6 of the TdS in the Spotlight

FIS World Cup Stage 5 Tour de Ski 10 k/15 k Mass Start Classic Val di Fiemme, Italy

Women’s Report | Men’s Report

The clear outcome from the women’s 10-kilometer classic mass start was Norway’s Ingvild Flugstad Østberg’s fitness. The TdS leader began the day with a 35.4 second lead on second overall skier Natalia Nepryaeva of Russia. The time back to Nepryaeva at the end of Stage 6 only grew.

Østberg’s form became evident around the 6.2 k mark when she inexorably pulled away from a group that included Russians Nepryaeva, Yulia Belorukova, Anastasia Sedova, and Finland’s Krista Pärmäkoski.

Østberg went on to a solo win in a time of 29:24.4 minutes. Nepryaeva placed second (+10.0), Sedova third (+10.8), and Pärmäkoski fourth (+12.5).

Belorukova ended up in fifth (+39.7), followed by Norway’s Heidi Weng in sixth (+1:10.0), and U.S. skier Jessie Diggins seventh (+1:19.3).

Diggins began the day third overall in the Tour, 1:22.6 minutes behind Østberg.

Canada’s Emily Nishikawa, who began the day in bib 28, placed 25th (+2:47.3).

After factoring in time bonuses, Østberg now leads the TdS by 53.4 seconds over second overall skier Nepryaeva. Pärmäkoski jumped to third (+2:13.1), with Diggins dropping to sixth in the overall, 3:07.9 back. 

Thirty-two women began Stage 6 of the Tour de Ski (TdS) in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

Results | Overall Tour Standings After Six Stages

In the men’s 15 k classic mass start, the race was a big opportunity for a results shakedown. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo of Norway came into the race as the overall leader, with a slight 5.4 second lead on Russia’s Sergey Ustiugov who began Stage 6 second overall in the TdS.

Klæbo will retain the overall lead after a tactical Stage 6 where he won the race in 40:52.6 minutes. Francesco de Fabiani of Italy placed second (+0.6), and Russia’s Alexander Bolshunov third (+2.6). Bolshunov had been third overall, prior to today’s stage, 1:18.2 behind Klæbo.

For de Fabiani, it was his second TdS podium — he also placed second in the Tour’s Stage 4 15 k classic mass start in Oberstdorf, Germany.

Ustiugov placed 16th (+42) in today’s stage after skiing through the 10 k time check in 20th place, 5.3 seconds back. By 11.4 k, Ustiugov was 20.4 seconds behind the front group of skiers that included Bolshunov and Klæbo.

After Stage 6, with only the Alpe Cermis climb to go, Klæbo sits in first overall, 1:20.4 minutes up on second overall skier Ustiugov. Bolshunov is third overall (+1:43.8), and de Fabiani fourth (+2:40.5).

No Canadian men started the race as Alex Harvey, Lenny Valjas, and Bob Thompson all left the Tour after Stage 5.

Ben Lustgarten (CGRP) for the U.S., is the only remaining North American male. He placed 44th (+5:31.7).

Men’s Results | Men’s Overall TdS Standings After Stage 6