Diggins, Kern Top 10 in Sixth Stage of Tour de Ski

The Tour de Ski continued in Val di Fiemme, Italy with the sixth stage of the grueling series—the 20k skiathlon, which saw Jessie Diggins in fifth and Julia Kern in a career-best distance result in seventh.

Today's race marked the second race in Val di Fiemme, a venue preparing to host the world’s best athletes at the upcoming 2026 Olympic Winter Games next year. It also delivered standout performances from the remaining six athletes on the Stifel U.S. Ski Team's Tour de Ski roster. The new course tested the field with 10k of classic skiing followed by 10k of skate skiing, with a ski change at the halfway point of the six-lap course. This format demands physical endurance and tactical precision, as it features some highly challenging descents met with steep climbs. 

The men’s race started the day with Zanden McMullen powering to a strong 17th place result and Ben Ogden following closely in 21st. At this point in the Tour, athletes are mentally and physically fatigued from racing six times in eight days. Only 61 athletes remained on the start list in the day's first race, but McMullen, Ogden and Jack Young put the hammer down. Throughout the six laps, McMullen and Ogden were in and out of the lead and chase pack, fighting for position in the ripping descents, hairpin turns and steep climbs.

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo continued his streak, winning the race and leading in the overall Tour de Ski rankings, with Italian Federico Pellegrino in second and Jan Thomas Jenssen of Norway in third. 

For the women, a field reduced to just 36 competitors due to illness made for an even tighter race. Diggins and Kern were in the mix, fighting for top positions from the start. After the ski change, Norway’s Therese Johaug established a gap, but Diggins and Kern kept pushing, sometimes skiing solo or within a pack, to secure top results. Kern, mere seconds behind, delivered a breakout performance and put her name on the map for World Cup distance races. After a less-than-desirable result and race for Kern the day prior, the 20K result showed how never giving up works out.

"I've had a lot of bad luck so far this season and just not all the pieces coming together on the right day all of the time," said Kern. "I knew there was a lot more potential today and I hadn't really shown my best yet in distance racing, or sprints, so I really believe that there's a lot more to give into show. And today, I had incredible skis that helped me do that and my body was responding well to my surprise! I just bounced back today, and I kept believing that there's so much more potential. I'm really excited for what's to come!"

"I was just looking forward to changing to skate," said Diggins, laughing. Diggins is currently dealing with a foot injury that makes classic skiing painful, yet she can still race. "And skating just gives me the normal amount of hurting - and I know how to handle that. So I just put my head down and fought for every second and was just trying to ski my own race. I am really proud! And really proud of our team." 

Sophia Laukli, despite falling and breaking a pole on the first lap, continued the fight, and in the five laps that followed her fall, Laukli continued to pick off athlete-by-athlete, charging the uphills as the strong climber she is to finish 20th.

The women's race resulted in Johaug taking home the win, Teresa Stadlober of Austria in second and Astrid Oeyre Slind of Norway in third. 

Tomorrow, all eyes are on the iconic Final Climb—a brutal 8-kilometer uphill battle up the Alpe Cermis alpine hill. Last year, Laukli etched her name into the history books with a commanding victory on the climb, becoming the youngest American to win a World Cup race. With Laukli’s history on this course, all eyes will be on her as she looks to repeat that feat. Diggins has moved into third place in the Tour de Ski standings, including third in the sprint standings, positioning herself as a serious contender heading into the finale, with Ben Ogden leading the men in 13th overall. 

RESULTS
Women 
Men

OVERALL TOUR DE SKI RESULTS
Women
Men