11:39
Everything still together
Despite the high speed, the gap doesn’t really open up and many sprinters stay far ahead. The climb has been overcome and it’s on to the last kilometer.
11:37
Stephen surprisingly in front
After three kilometers, the Canadian Thomas Stephen surprisingly takes the lead and pushes hard. While Amundsen and Iversen are happy that someone is working, nothing is working for Simen Hegstad Krüger today.
11:35
Amundsen is building steam
Harald Østberg Amundsen immediately takes the lead, sets a good pace and stretches the field considerably. During the intermediate sprint after two kilometers, the fast people like Richard Jouve show up at the front for a moment and Lucas Chanavat at the front in order to grab a few bonus points.
11:32
A question of tactics
How do the athletes approach it here? Aside from the fact that the distance of five kilometers on a relatively easy route with only one long climb is unusual for the men, the runners in the first heat in particular have to think about how to tactic here. Of course, it’s important to set a good time for the following runs.
11:30
Let’s go!
The starting signal for the first heat mass start in World Cup history has been fired!
11:26
Big names in the first heat
Already in the first heat there are a few names who would be expected to be at the front in a classic mass start. Above all, the two Norwegians Harald Østberg Amundsen, Simen Hegstad Krüger and Emil Iversen as well as the Finn Iivo Niskanen are likely to fight for the top position here. Tobias Ganner is there for Austria, the athletes from Germany and Switzerland will take part later.
11:22
The Swiss only shine in sprints
The athletes from Switzerland shone with a top result in the sprint and brought two people into the final with Valerio Grond (4th) and Janik Riebli (6th). In the first distance race yesterday nothing worked and Nicola Wigger became the best Swiss in 48th place. In addition to the three athletes mentioned, Roman Alder, Noe Näff and Isai Näff are also competing for Switzerland in this heat mass start.
11:17
Three Austrians there
The ÖSV team will be represented at this heat mass start by Tobias Ganner, Benjamin Moser and Michael Föttinger. Moser has made the best impression on this tour so far, coming into the top 30 in the sprint and finishing eleventh in yesterday’s classic ten. Austria’s top runner Mika Vermeulen missed the Tour de Ski due to a flu-like infection.
11:12
DSV has disappointed so far
The German cross-country skiers continue to run after their form this Olympic winter. In yesterday’s ten, Florian Notz was the 28th best DSV athlete. Friedrich Moch, who was second overall on the tour in 2023/24, only came in 66th and said disappointedly: “It just didn’t work.” So far, Notz has already secured qualification for the Winter Olympics. All other DSV starters still need a good result. Today, in addition to Notz and Moch, Janosch Brugger, Jakob Moch, Jan Stölben and Anian Sossua-Daubermann can also present themselves in DSV dress. All six are represented in heats three and four.
11:07
Norway untouchable
Even if the format is new: Anything other than a Norwegian success would also be a sensation in the heat mass start. The men from the far north of Europe have won ten of eleven races this winter so far and six Norwegians are in the top seven in the overall World Cup. Three Norwegians were also on the podium in each of the first two stages of the Tour de Ski, a freestyle sprint and a 10 km classic distance race. So there probably won’t be any way past Johannes Høsflot Klæbo & Co. today.
11:01
New format
The heat mass start will be held for the first time as part of this Tour de Ski. This new format stipulates that the total of 102 starters will be divided into four groups (heats), each of which will run its own mass start with around 25 participants. The groups are mixed and not sorted according to performance, so that there are strong and less strong runners in each heat. In the end, the athlete with the fastest time in all four runs won. So it’s not just about being at the front in your own heat, but also about making sure that your own race is faster than the others. Those responsible expect this procedure to bring more action on the track. We are extremely excited about this premiere.
11:00
Welcome
Hello and welcome to the New Year’s Eve stage of the Tour de Ski in Toblach, Italy! The premiere of the heat mass start over five kilometers in the free technique is on the program from 11:30 a.m.