After a mixed start at the Tour de Ski, Victoria Carl ensured a conciliatory end to the year: on the third stage over 20 kilometers of freestyle in Toblach, the Thuringian narrowly missed the podium when Norwegian Astrid Öyre Slind won.
Carl showed a strong performance in the first few kilometers. After 2.1 kilometers she was in the lead and left the favorites behind: Neither the Norwegians Heidi Weng and Theresa Johaug nor the tour leader, Jessie Diggins (USA), were able to break the time – they were a good ten seconds behind. Carl thus secured the sprint classification and collected further points for the tour classification.
At the second split at kilometer 5.6 the same picture: Carl was in the lead. But Johaug made up time and was only five seconds behind and was the 29-year-old’s closest competitor alongside Finn Kerttu Niskanen. Diggins and Weng continued to lose time.
Slind makes it exciting
Halfway through the race, the feather-light Johaug fired up her turbo – as if she had never left. The 36-year-old made her comeback in the World Cup this winter after a two and a half year break. She took the lead at 10.6 kilometers – 0.6 seconds ahead of Niskanen. Carl was now 4.5 seconds behind.
What was still possible for Carl in the last ten kilometers? Would it be enough for the podium? At the last intermediate time it was clear that it wouldn’t be enough for the place at the top of the podium. Johaug and Niskanen fought it out between themselves. And Astrid Öyre Slind quietly worked her way up to third place. There were less than two seconds between the Norwegian and the DSV athlete.
But Slind pulled out all the stops in the final kilometers and prevented Johaug from winning his 85th World Cup victory with a lead of 3.3 seconds. Niskanen came third (+20.3). Carl ended up in fourth place, 27.7 seconds behind the winner.
Defending champion Jessie Diggins (USA) continues to lead the overall Tour standings, but in sixth place she lost her lead and is now only 22 seconds ahead of Niskanen.
Fink second best German
In addition to Victoria Carl, Pia Fink also made it into the top 15 athletes. She finished 14th, 1:12 minutes behind. Helen Hoffmann crossed the finish line in 20th place, 1:44 behind. Anna-Maria Dietze was 28th (+2:13.1) and Laura Gimmler 29th (+2:13.3). Katherine Sauerbrey and Lisa Lohmann took places 45 (+3:25) and 53 (+4:45).
The next stops on the Tour de Ski
Dobbiaco
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)