Norway’s record world champion runs 20 km far ahead of the field and is on the verge of his fifth overall victory.
Norway’s cross-country skiing star Johannes Hösflot Kläbo has taken a giant step towards a historic fifth overall victory at the Tour de Ski with an impressive solo show. The 29-year-old celebrated a start-to-finish victory in the 20 km classic pursuit race in Toblach and ran far ahead of the field for the entire distance in his 103rd World Cup success.
The overall leader, who was only twelfth on New Year’s Eve at the premiere of the controversial “Heat Mass Start,” started with a 45-second lead, extended it to over a minute in between, and finally finished 51.1 seconds ahead of his compatriot Mattis Stenshagen. Third was the Swede Edvin Anger (+59.8).
Will Kläbo break the record?
As the best German, Janosch Brugger finished 25th (+2:51.9 minutes) and lost only 36 seconds to Kläbo. Friedrich Moch, who was second overall in the Tour de Ski two years ago, finished 55th.
On Saturday and Sunday, a sprint and the final mass start to Alpe Cermis will take place on the Olympic cross-country trails in Val di Fiemme, concluding the Tour de Ski. Kläbo is unlikely to be caught there.
As the first cross-country skier, the record world champion could win the Tour de Ski for the fifth time, currently sharing the record with Switzerland’s Dario Cologna.