10 U.S. Athletes Kick of 14th Tour de Ski Saturday

Ten U.S. athletes are ready to kick off the 14th edition of the Tour de Ski, featuring seven stages over nine days, beginning Saturday with a mass start freestyle event for both men and women. With no Nordic World Ski Championships or Olympic Winter Games scheduled this season, the tour marks one of the highlights for the athletes and teams. 

Jessie Diggins leads the Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team into Saturday’s opener in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. So far this season, Jessie has finished in the top three, three times in individual World Cup races, equal to Norway’s Heidi Weng. Only Norway’s Therese Johaug has claimed more podium finishes this season with four. So far this season, four U.S. women have scored podium results, including Jessie, Sadie Maubet Bjornsen, Julia Kern and Sophie Caldwell. Jessie became the first U.S. woman to finish on the podium in the Tour de Ski when she finished third in 2018.

While the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team has posted numerous top results so far this season, pretty much every race has featured an athlete sitting out an event due to a health reason. “Our really big hope is that everyone arrives in Lenzerheide healthy,” noted U.S. Cross Country Team Head Coach Chris Grover. 

Following Saturday’s mass start event, the athletes will contest a freestyle sprint on Sunday, followed by a rest/travel day to Toblach, Italy, Monday. Tuesday’s race will feature a 10k freestyle for the women and a 15k freestyle for the men. Wednesday, Jan. 1, the women will compete in a 10k classic pursuit, which the men will race a 15k classic pursuit. New this year, the pursuit start times will be based on the results of Tuesday’s stage in Toblach, and not as in the past on the current Overall Tour de Ski standing.

Thursday is the second rest day before the final three stages in Val di Fiemme, Italy, which include a 10k women’s and 15k men’s mass start Friday, Jan. 3; Classic sprint Saturday, Jan. 4; and the final stage 10k freestyle climb on Sunday, Jan. 5. The Final Climb will be a mass start and not pursuit as in the past.

Bonus seconds will be awarded to the top finishers in mass start and sprint competitions. In addition, Intermediate Sprints Points will be offered throughout the stages. All seven stages will be broadcast live on The Olympic Channel - Home to Team USA, OlympicChannel.com and NBCSports Gold.

U.S. starters for the 14th Tour De Ski, Dec. 28 - Jan. 5:

• Jessie Diggins
• Sophie Caldwell
• Rosie Brennan
• Sadie Maubet Bjornsen
• Julia Kern
• Katharine Ogden 
• Simi Hamilton 
• Kevin Bolger
• David Norris
• Logan Hanneman 

HOW TO WATCH 
All times EST

Saturday, Dec. 28
6:45 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Women’s 10k mass start, Lenzerheide, SUI - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
8:15 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men’s 15k mass start, Lenzerheide, SUI - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, Dec. 29
5:30 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men and women’s sprint, Lenzerheide, SUI - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Tuesday, Dec. 31
6:30 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men’s 15k, Toblach, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
9:00 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Women’s 10k, Toblach, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Wednesday, Jan. 1
5:40 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Women’s 10k pursuit, Toblach, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
7:00 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men’s 15k pursuit, Toblach, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Friday, Jan. 3
7:15 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Women’s 10k mass start, Val di Fiemme, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
9:15 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men’s 15k mass start, Val di Fiemme, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Saturday, Jan. 4
5:25 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men and women’s sprint, Val di Fiemme, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Sunday, Jan. 5
7:15 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Women’s 10k final climb, Val di Fiemme, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold
9:15 a.m. - Tour de Ski: Men’s 10k final climb, Val di Fiemme, ITA - Olympic Channel, Olympic Channel.com, NBC Sports Gold

Note: All televised events to stream across NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app, OlympicChannel.com, and Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA app

Exclusive commercial-free coverage will be available for subscribers of the NBC Sports Gold Pass, available here: https://www.nbcsports.com/gold/snow.