Tour de Ski
Rydzek is out – a setback for the German team
12/27/2024 – 11:43 a.mReading time: 1 min.
Coletta Rydzek has to cancel her participation in the Tour de Ski at short notice – the cross-country skier is not fit enough. After Katharina Hennig’s cancellation, the German team is missing another important athlete at the first highlight of the season.
The German cross-country skiing team has to cope with another setback: Coletta Rydzek also decided not to take part in the Tour de Ski. The Oberstdorf resident explained on Instagram on Friday that she was “not completely fit” and would instead “keep her fingers crossed” for the team from home. This means that the German team is missing another top performer at the first highlight of the season after Olympic champion Katharina Hennig announced her cancellation at Christmas.
The 27-year-old, who was considered a specialist in the sprint stages, could have played an important role in the Tour. She most recently drew attention to herself at the end of November at the World Cup in Kuusamo with a sixth place in the sprint final. Last season, Rydzek celebrated her first podium result with a second place at the World Cup in Lahti.
The 19th edition of the Tour de Ski starts on Saturday with four stages in Toblach/South Tyrol. From January 3rd, the final races will be held in Val di Fiemme, including on the Olympic courses of the 2026 Winter Games. In the women’s race, Olympic champion Victoria Carl leads the German team, while Friedrich Moch faces a difficult task in the men’s race: The 23-year-old sensationally took second place overall last year. However, a repeat of this success will be difficult given the strong competition.