Diggins 13th In FIS Tour de Ski Stage 5
On Monday, the remaining Davis U.S. Cross Country Team athletes dug deep into the pain cave to fight for another day at the FIS Tour de Ski on a world-class course in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
Jessie Diggins, rebounding from her unfortunate race in Oberstdorf, Germany, Saturday, led the way, finishing 13th in the women’s 10k classic mass start. “I went as hard as I could and really dug deep,” Diggins said. “I gave it what I had today, and I am proud of that.”
After the penultimate stage, Russia’s Natalia Nepryaeva won her second-straight stage to maintain her overall Tour de Ski lead. Norway’s Heidi Weng was second, followed by Sweden’s Krista Parmakoski in third. Katharine Ogden just missed scoring World Cup points, finishing 31st, while Novie McCabe was 36th; Sophia Laukli was 39th, and Alayna Sonnesyn was 51st.
Diggins dropped to sixth overall in the Tour de Ski standings, 1:42 back. However, she moved into second in the overall FIS World Cup standings, just five points behind Sweden’s Frida Karlsson, who took Diggins out in Saturday’s Stage 4 classic sprint. Karlsson did not start Monday’s Stage 5.
In the 15k men’s classic mass start, Norway’s Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo skied away from the field once again to win his fourth TdS stage. Finland’s Iivo Niskanen was second, followed by Russia’s Alexey Chervotkin in third. Gus Schumacher was 50th, and Zak Ketterson, competing in his first Tour and fifth World Cup race, was 59th.
“This is my first Tour, and probably the first time I have ever done this many races in so few days, so you kind of go into the race just seeing what would happen, and today was pretty tough,” Ketterson said. “But it’s just the nature of skiing that you have to look toward the next stage. We have another race tomorrow, and it’s a new chance.”
With five races in the past seven days and more than 8 hours of travel between venues, the athletes are brushing off fatigue to put their best ski forward. “I felt tired, for sure,” said McCabe, who is competing in her first Tour de Ski. “Not my best, but I’m proud of pushing the whole way because it was not easy.”
“Definitely feeling the multiple races in me,” said Laukli, who is also competing in her first Tour de Ski. “I’ve had better days, and I’ve had worse days.”
Tuesday’s Stage 6 finalé climbs the final three kilometers up the lower slopes of the Alpe Cermis in Cavalese. The stage offers one last opportunity for the athletes to move up in the overall standings.
“I have been looking forward to this race for a long time,” Laukli said. “I’m going into it very tired, but I’m still pretty stoked to do it.”
RESULTS
Women’s 10k classic mass start
Men’s 15k classic mass start
STANDINGS
Women’s Tour de Ski Overall
Men’s Tour de Ski Overall
Women’s World Cup overall
Men’s World Cup overall
Women’s World Cup distance
Men’s World Cup distance
HOW TO WATCH
All Times EST
Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2022
5:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Women's 10km Mass Start - LIVE, Val di Fiemme, ITA, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock
9:25 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Men's 10km Mass Start - LIVE, Val di Fiemme, ITA, Streaming Ski and Snowboard Live, Streaming Peacock
