The German cross-country skiers have to continue to wait for their first podium finish this season. In the 15 kilometer race in classic style in Toblach, the highly rated Friedrich Moch finished distant in 39th place. The dominance of the Norwegians was once again overwhelming.
Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo from Norway did it again. The outstanding cross-country skier won the mass start at the Tour de Ski on Sunday (December 29, 2024) ahead of three compatriots: Erik Valnes (+ 0.6 seconds), Haavard Moseby (+ 1.2 seconds) and Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (+ 2, 1 seconds) were left behind in the final sprint.
Tour ranking: Germans beaten
The Germans had no chance of a podium finish throughout the entire race. “When you start so far back, a mass start is a tough task”said national coach Peter Schlickenrieder on ZDF. In the overall tour ranking, which the three-time tour winner Kläbo leads with 34 seconds over the Frenchman Richard Jouve, Moch is the best German in 41st place (+1:59 minutes).
“Slalom runner” after a bad starting position
Moch actually wanted to attack the top six at the mass start, but the starting position after the sprint was too unfavorable for that. After his 78th place, the Allgäu native had to start far back and initially only had one goal at the start of the race: to work forward without an accident. That worked. Moch gained 30 places in the first few kilometers, but was stuck in a concentrated field and had to complete a long “slalom run”.
After a third of the race, Moch was still stuck in 33rd place, 14 seconds behind, while things were going off at the front and outsiders like Mika Vermeulen (Austria), Gus Schumacher (USA) and Hugo Lapalus (France) were setting the pace.
Moch – catching up takes too much energy
Moch would probably have liked to take on this role, but for a long time the man from Allgäu simply couldn’t find a gap suitable for overtaking. Especially since the Norwegians wore down the competition with tactical games. Sometimes quickly, sometimes slowly. There was no real gap, the large field remained close together and Moch was stuck in the middle. “It’s a tough number for Friedrich.”said Schlickenrieder halfway through the race on ZDF.
Moch worked his way up to 14th place four kilometers from the finish – just two seconds behind the lead – but this race to catch up had cost too much energy. When the Norwegians increased the pace, the young Allgäu native, who had sensationally finished second in the overall rankings last year, was unable to keep up. Moch was passed to the back and crossed the finish line in 39th place (+42.3 seconds).
“It was a pretty tough race. My goal was to somehow work my way forward and save energy in the process, but saving energy wasn’t that easy because I had to really accelerate to fight my way forward. ” The last climb up the steep mountain was his “really pulled the trigger”said Moch, the “a little disappointed” be: “It’s not quite what I imagined.” He’s trying to make up ground again in the coming races.
Johannes Hosflot Klaebo was in the front of the field throughout the entire race and won the race in the end.
Germans repelled
The other German starters Janosch Brugger (47./SC Schluchsee), Florian Notz (49./TSV/SZ Böhringen Römerstein), Albert Kuchler (65./SpVgg Lam), Jan Stölben (69./SLV Ernstberg) and Anian Sossau ( 72./SC Eisenärzt) also had nothing to do with the outcome of the race.
The next stops on the Tour de Ski
Dobbiaco
31.12. 11:30 a.m.: Men, interval start 20 km F
December 31st, 2:45 p.m.: Women, interval start 20 km F
01/01, 10:30 a.m.: Men, pursuit 15 km C
01/01, 12:30 p.m.: Women, pursuit 15 km C
Val di Fiemme
January 3rd, 12:15 p.m.: Qualifications women/men, Sprint C
January 3rd, 2:45 p.m.: Finals women/men, Sprint C
January 4th, 11:00 a.m.: Men, Skiathlon 20 km C/F
January 4th, 3:30 p.m.: Women, skiathlon 20 km C/F
January 5th, 2:15 p.m.: Men, mass start, 10 km F (Final Climb)
January 5th, 3:30 p.m.: Women, mass start, 10 km F (Final Climb)