Cross-country skier Friedrich Moch secured the next German top result at the Tour de Ski, but national coach Peter Schlickenrieder’s selection will have to wait for the first podium place of the season.
In the Val di Fiemme skiathlon, last year’s surprise runner-up came in sixth place on Saturday and only missed the podium by 1.3 seconds. For Friedrich Moch it was the best result of the season.
“This morning I thought for a moment that I was going to get sick – my throat was dry and I didn’t know what to do. So I’m very happy,” said Moch, who was in the overall standings before the brutally hard final climb on Alpe Cermis Twelfth place is: “The top 10 can be there tomorrow, I’ll try to attack.” At the front is the day’s winner and three-time tour winner Johannes Hösflot Kläbo from Norway.
Victoria Carl is losing ground
In the women’s category, Victoria Carl then lost some ground; in Norway’s top star Therese Johaug’s 86th World Cup victory, she was no better than eleventh, directly ahead of the strong Pia Fink. “Vici took on a bit and paid tribute to it. Of course she wants more,” said Schlickenrieder. Carl is now eighth in the overall standings, more than five minutes behind Johaug, who returned after a maternity leave.
Schlickenrieder was still satisfied – especially with Moch. “He did a really great job,” said the German team boss on “ARD”: “He got the most out of it, it was really well done, you can only praise that. That’s the step you need.”
After 10 km in both classic and free style, the 24-year-old from Allgäu was 5.2 seconds behind Norway’s top star Johannes Hösflot Kläbo on the 2026 Olympic course. In his 91st World Cup victory, Kläbo made the decisive attack on the last climb and won with a lead of 2.4 seconds over the Italian Federico Pellegrino. Jan Thomas Jenssen came third (+3.9).
“He is an artist on skis and has a tactical understanding like no other,” said Schlickenrieder about Kläbo: “He adapts his tactics to win the race, which is great.” Kläbo’s overall victory should no longer be in doubt on Sunday.