Nadine Faehndrich claims sprint classic victory with Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo increasing his overall lead at 2024/25 Tour de Ski
Faehndrich secured her first win in almost three seasons as US star Jessie Diggins crashed out in the women's quarter-finals, while Klaebo claimed his third stage of the 2024/25 Tour de Ski in the men's event.
Cross-Country Skiing
Nadine Faehndrich of Switzerland claimed her first cross-country skiing World Cup victory in nearly three seasons by winning the women's sprint classic race at the fifth stage of the 2024/25 Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme, Italy on Friday (3 January).
The Swiss skier secured the sixth World Cup victory of her career, beating Linn Svahn and Heidi Weng to the line.
Faehndrich took the lead on the descent towards the stadium in the final, and fought off a late challenge from Svahn for the win.
US star Jessie Diggins’ hopes of clawing back lost ground in the overall standings were dashed when she and another title hopeful Therese Johaug failed to make it past the quarter-finals.
Defending champion Diggins led the overall standings over the first three stages before Norway’s Astrid Oeyre Slind leapfrogged her to the top following two triumphs in two days in Toblach, Italy.
Long-distance specialist Slind also failed to make it into the semi-final round on Friday, with the top-five women in the overall standings remaining unchanged. Weng edged closer to the fourth-placed Diggins, after she finished third on the podium in the sprint classic.
Slind, who had previously never topped the podium in 16 years on the World Cup circuit, is in the form of her life winning three races in as many weeks.
Three-time champion Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo consolidated his lead at the top of the men’s overall title standings, winning his third stage of this year’s race.
Klaebo was untouchable throughout his heats. In the final, local hero Federico Pellegrino took the lead at the top of the final climb with Klaebo following shortly in his tracks.
The Italian's lead proved to be short-lived as Klaebo put the hammer down in the final stretch entering the stadium to take the win without much of a fight. He crossed the line comfortably in first place in a time of 2:35.45.
The Norwegian's compatriot Even Northug followed in second, with Sweden’s Marcus Grate bagging his first podium in third place.
The five-time Olympic champion Klaebo’s chances of matching Dario Cologna’s record of four overall victories have also increased after reigning Tour de Ski champion Harald Oestberg Amundsen withdrew due to a cold. Amundsen was in third place on the overall standings after winning the third and fourth stages.
The penultimate stage of the 2024/25 Tour de Ski on Saturday will be a 15km classic mass start before the event concludes with a 9km freestyle final climb mass start the next day.
2024/25 Tour de Ski: Results from Stage 5 - Sprint classic, Val di Fiemme (ITA), 3 January 2025
Men's
- Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) 2:35.45
- Even Northug (NOR) +0.32
- Marcus Grate (SWE) +0.64
- Federico Pellegrino (ITA) +1.43
- Haavard Moseby (NOR) +2.97
- Janik Riebli (SUI) +17.76
Women's
- Nadine Faehndrich (SUI) 2:57.63
- Linn Svahn (SWE) +0.04
- Heidi Weng (NOR) +0.53
- Jasmin Kahara (FIN) +0.82
- Laura Gimmler (GER) +1.03
- Lotta Udnes Weng (NOR) +1.97
Overall Tour de Ski 2024/25 standings can be found here.