Here’s a blast from the past. Two seasons ago, we asked Jessie Diggins, of the U.S. Ski Team, how she prepped for a prologue as the first stage of the 2015 Tour de Ski. She explained she did a “prologue practice day” about a week and a half before the Tour-opening 3 k freestyle prologue.
News broke Wednesday that Martin Johnsrud Sundby, the three-time defending overall World Cup and Tour de Ski champion, had been handed a two-month sanction and disqualified from two races (and his 2015 Tour de Ski and 2015 overall World Cup titles). "I went into the 2015/2016-season knowing I was innocent, and also that I was acquitted," he said in a press conference. "I think the verdict is totally unreasonable."
Ivan Babikov felt faster than 12th on the day up Alpe Cermis, yet that's where he ended up for 31st overall in the Tour. Canadian teammate Devon Kershaw ended the final stage in 35th -- not where he wanted to be, either.
The Tour de Ski was the one major international title that eluded Marit Bjørgen, but she finally claimed it after an uncontested victory in Sunday's final stage in Val di Femme, Italy, a 9 k freestyle pursuit. While Norway swept the podium, Liz Stephen took fifth to earn the best Tour finish of all time for the United States.
Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway overtook teammate Petter Northug at the base of the Alpe Cermis hill climb to win the final stage and secure his second Tour de Ski title in the process.
In the tightest race of the 2015 Tour de Ski, German Tim Tscharnke outsprinted four other non-Norwegian skiers to claim his best World Cup result of the season. The current Tour standings now leave the potential for a dramatic final Tour stage on Sunday.
Therese Johaug surprised nobody as much as herself when she passed Marit Bjørgen in the final meters of Saturday's 10 k classic mass start. Norway swept the podium again, but Aino Kaisa Saarinen of Finland turned in her best performance all season in fourth place, and American Liz Stephen finished an assertive fifth.
Decisions on the World Cup circuit, like when to stop when the going's good or whether to stay in Europe when things aren't going exactly according to plan, aren't easy. But they have to be made. APU Head Coach Erik Flora explains the thought processes behind some recent U.S. Ski Team member moves.
Andrew Musgrave is having a historic 2015 Tour de Ski after earning the fastest time in the 25 k pursuit. FasterSkier caught up with Musgrave as he prepared for the final two stages of the Tour in Val di Fiemme, Italy to talk about the race, his goals, and the future of British skiing.
Kikkan Randall is leaving the 2015 Tour de Ski in 25th, while Liz Stephen put together a good performance on Thursday to stay in 14th overall. Stephen will be the only American women racing in the final two stages.
Alex Harvey found himself in a slower group during Thursday's 25 k freestyle pursuit in Toblach, Italy, but still managed to get past Switzerland's Dario Cologna to take the sixth overall in the Tour de Ski. Canadian teammates Devon Kershaw and Ivan Babikov finished 25th and 31st, respectively.
A bitter Evgeniy Belov of Russia, who finished fourth in today's sprint finish of the 25 k Tour de Ski pursuit, pointed his finger at Petter Northug - the Norwegian skied 24.7 kilometers with the lead pack of four, but never actually led the race until he won it. He now leads the Tour by seven seconds over Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Calle Halfvarsson.
Alexey Poltoranin proved that once in a while you just need to muscle your way to first place. He opted to use skate skis and double poled his way to the victory in Wednesday’s 10-kilometer classic race, the fourth stage of the Tour de Ski in Toblach, Italy.
Three Canadians remain in the Tour de Ski, and in the 10 k classic on Wednesday, Alex Harvey led them in 14th -- a result he considered good, not great. Devon Kershaw placed 21st and Ivan Babikov was 32nd.
American Sadie Bjornsen is done with this year's Tour de Ski ranked in seventh position after earning an eighth-place finish in the 5 k interval start in Toblach, Italy, on Wednesday. Jessie Diggins took 19th, and will finish the final three stages of the Tour.
Norway’s Marit Bjørgen was untouchable again, for the fourth day in a row as she won the 5k classic in Toblach, Italy, and widening her overall gap to 1:34.3.
Sophie Caldwell won a photo finish in her quarterfinal heat on the way to seventh place in Tuesday's Tour de Ski 1.4 k freestyle sprint in Val Müstair, Switzerland. Meanwhile, Kikkan Randall continues to improve on the Tour stage after taking tenth overall.
A critical mistake at the end of a quarterfinal heat prevented Canada's Alex Harvey from moving on to the semifinals of the Tour de Ski 1.4 k freestyle sprint in Val Müstair, Switzerland. Meanwhile, Simi Hamilton led the American skiers with an eighth-place finish.
Norway’s Marit Bjørgen proved once again that she is the hands down favorite to with this year’s Tour de Ski competition by setting the fastest qualifying time in Tuesdays 1.4 k course and continuing that pace all the way to the final.
Now in second after the first two stages of the seven-stage Tour de Ski, Alex Harvey spoke with FasterSkier after an easy training day in Switzerland before the first-and-only, full-on sprint of the 2015 Tour.