Kerttu Niskanen caught in a giant sum

Kerttu Niskanen35, is tied for the biggest sums available in the World Cup of Skiing.

The first place in the overall Tour de Ski competition, which ends on Sunday, will earn around 86,000, the second around 64,000 and the third around 43,000 euros.

Niskas has about 6,400 euros in safe money from two Tour stage wins.

The Finn is second in the tour after stage 5/7. Without getting sick or having a total ski collapse, second place is in your pocket, estimates Iltalehti’s skiing expert Reijo Jylhä.

– Of the women behind Kertu, only Norway’s Heidi Weng and Sweden Frida Karlsson can come by. The other top athletes are not hard enough on the final climb on Sunday, commented Jylhä.

The tour is led by the USA Jessie Diggins32. The difference to the Finn is 44 seconds.

– Everyone here has already given the victory to Diggins. He has to make a mistake if someone is going to come by, Niskanen announces.

Jylhä has a different opinion.

– Things can still go badly for Diggins. Saturday’s competition has been surprising at the Tour for many years, says Jylhä.

Banana peel

On Saturday in Italy’s Val di Fiemme, the second-to-last stage of the Tour is, as usual, a joint start of 15 kilometers of traditional progression. Before last year, the race distance was 10 kilometers.

Niskanen is the number one pre-favorite for Saturday’s race.

– Two traditional races have been skied on the Tour and Kerttu has won both. It increases his value even more.

Last year, Niskanen finished third in the final race. Diggins was 24th, more than a minute behind the leader.

The Finnish average ranking of the top five Val di Fiemme traditional mass starts is sixth and the Yankee’s eighth.

Of course, this season the American is in good shape. Traditional is going better than ever.

– Will it be group skiing in the snow? The track is a bit steep. I remember last year, when I felt like I was skiing well and with endurance, but I was just working for others, Niskanen states.

From pain to pleasure

The ascent of the Alpe Cermis skiing center on a free Sunday, the final stage of the Tour, is in Niskanen’s mind.

– Most women are horrified by it, but it’s such a special race that you can’t help but enjoy it.

Niskanen was fourth and Diggins fifth (+17.3 seconds from the Finn) in the split times of last season’s final climb.

The final stage of the Tour has been skied as a mass start four times. Diggins’ average ranking is seventh and Niskanen’s eighth. The head-to-head record is 2-1 for Diggins.