Tour de Ski 2024/25: Jessie Diggins extends overall lead with Stage 2 victory in Toblach
The US cross-country star secured her first classic style World Cup win in the 15km mass start to move a step closer to retaining her Tour de Ski crown. Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo won the men's race to consolidate his lead.
Cross-Country Skiing
Jessie Diggins strengthened her grip of the 2024/25 Tour de Ski by claiming her first ever classic style World Cup win in Toblach, Italy on Sunday (29 December).
The US cross-country ski star could not have asked for a better start to her campaign with back-to-back victories after her sprint race win on Saturday.
The 33-year-old stayed with the classic specialists in the 15km mass start race, including four-time Olympic champion Therese Johaug, until the bitter end.
With a lap to go, Diggins was in danger of losing touch with the five leaders headed by Astrid Øyre Slind. But she soon glided her way back into contention, and powered to the front with 400m to go to make it two wins on consecutive days.
Her superior finishing speed proved decisive, and she punched the air as she crossed the line for her 24th World Cup win before dropping to the snow in celebration.
Finland’s Kerttu Niskanen was second with Slind in third place ahead of fellow Norwegian Heidi Weng.
“It took me something like 340 World Cups to get here (win a classic). This is why you never, ever give up!” Diggins told FIS afterwards. "I’ve been working so hard on classic skiing my whole life and it’s really emotional to finally do it. It took a lot of tries and that is really cool.”
Norwegian superstar Johannes Høsflot Klæbo also made it two wins in as many days in the men's classic mass start.
Like Diggins, Klæbo made his move in the closing stages with teammates Erik Valnes and Håvard Moseby following in second and third place.
The powerful Norwegian contingent was on the sharp end for much of the race as the front group was whittled down from 40 to 15 on the final lap.
Reigning champion Harald Østberg Amundsen finished sixth, but he is already a minute behind Klæbo in the overall standings as the athletes prepare for Tuesday's 20km freestyle interval start challenge.
2024/25 Tour de Ski: Results from Stage 2 - 15km mass start classic, Toblach (ITA), 29 December 2024
Women's
- Jessie Diggins (USA) 42:23.6
- Kerttu Niskanen (FIN) +0.5
- Astrid Oeyre Slind (NOR) +0.7
- Heidi Weng (NOR) +0.8
- Silje Theodorsen (NOR) +2.2
- Therese Johaug (NOR) +4.6
Men's
- Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (NOR) 38:24.4
- Erik Valnes (NOR) +0.6
- Håvard Moseby (NOR) +1.2
- Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget (NOR) +2.1
- Edvin Anger (SWE) +2.3
- Harald Østberg Amundsen (NOR) +3.3
Overall Tour de Ski 2024/25 standings can be found here.