11 U.S. Athletes Open 15th Tour de Ski Friday in Val Müstair

The Davis U.S. Cross Country Ski Team looks to continue its early-season success as they kick off the 15th edition of the FIS Tour de Ski Friday in what may be the most important event of the season outside of the Feb. 23-March 7 FIS World Championships in Oberstdorf, Germany.

Americans have found success at previous editions of the Tour de Ski, including Jessie Diggins’s third-place overall result in 2018. However, this year Rosie Brennan comes into the 10-day, eight-stage event as the overall World Cup leader - only the second American to ever wear the overall FIS cross country yellow leader’s bib - following two victories in Davos, Switzerland earlier this month. And with the World Championships falling later in the season than usual this year, Rosie, and her teammates are ready to get back to racing, gain some experience, and reach for podium results.

“I just want to be able to be in a position where I can put up a good fight every day and see what comes of that,” said Rosie, who will be among 11 U.S. athletes, including four - Gus Schumacher, Scott Patterson, Hailey Swirbul and Catiline Patterson - who are competing in their first Tour de Ski when it kicks off with Friday’s freestyle sprint. 

“My goal is to give it a really good, honest shot at an overall podium,” Jessie said. “We have had some really good times in the past, and we have had some really tricky times, but if everything goes well, and everything lines up, you can have really amazing races. But, I’m just going to take it one day at a time.”

With eight days of racing from Jan. 1-10 in Val Müstair, Switzerland, Tolblach and Val di Fiemme, Italy, there are plenty of opportunities for success. However, there are also plenty of opportunities for mistakes as well. During the 2019 Tour de Ski, icing skis knocked Jessie out of the overall lead in the fourth stage 10k classic. She finished the 2019 Tour ninth overall. 

“Every [stage] is just as important as the other,” Rosie added. “It’s hard to come back from any sort of mistake, or bad wax, or tough condition day.”

That is precisely what Scott, Hailey, Caitline, and Gus hope to learn from their first Tour de Ski start. “My goal is to get as far as I can, drink in the experience, and try to stay somewhat alive,” Gus said, adding that he hopes to make it to the final stage hill climb up the alpine slopes Val Di Fiemme that averages 12% gradient, with stretches up to 30%, over the last 3.5k. 

“I’m looking forward to gaining experience because I hope to one day be able to do really well in [the Tour],” said Hailey, who picked up her first career World Cup podium this month, finishing third in the 10k freestyle in Davos. “Because it is my first Tour, I really don’t know what to expect, so I’m just going in with an open mind.”

While top results are always the goal heading into the Tour de Ski, coming out of a 10-day event with a fitness boost is always a great benefit, so long as each athlete successfully manages the rest and recovery phase post-tour. With that in mind, Sophie Caldwell Hamilton plans to race the first three stages in Val Müstair and then opt out in order to prepare for the remainder of the season.

“I debated for a while whether or not the Tour de Ski made sense to do given [the upcoming World Championships],” Rosie said. “I don’t know if there is a right answer. [In the past] I have had the Tour go well and not affect the rest of my season, and I’ve also had the Tour be really hard to recover from and put a dent in the rest of my season. I feel confident about my shape this year, so I think I have the ability to handle it and I’m hoping that it sets me up well for World Champs, especially given a little later start to the World Champs this season.”

Following the Tour de Ski, the FIS Cross Country World Cup schedule will have an off weekend before resuming Jan. 23-24 in Lahti, Finland.

U.S. Starters for the 15th FIS Tour de Ski 

• Kevin Bolger
• Rosie Brennan
• Sophie Caldwell Hamilton
• Jessie Diggins
• Simi Hamilton
• Julia Kern
• Katharine Ogden
• Caitlin Patterson
• Scott Patterson
• Hailey Swirbul
• Gus Schumacher

Tour de Ski Schedule
Friday, Jan. 1, Val Müstair, SUI
Men and Women’s freestyle sprint

Saturday, Jan. 2, Val Müstair, SUI
Women’s 10k classic mass start
Men’s 15k classic mass start

Sunday, Jan. 3, Val Müstair, SUI
Women’s 10k freestyle pursuit
Men’s 15k freestyle pursuit

Tuesday, Jan. 5, Tolblach, ITA
Women’s 10k freestyle
Men’s 15k freestyle

Wednesday, Jan. 6, Tolblach, ITA
Women’s 10k classic pursuit
Men’s 15k classic pursuit

Friday, Jan. 8, Val di Fiemme, ITA
Women’s 10k classic mass start
Men’s 15k classic mass start

Saturday, Jan. 9, Val di Fiemme, ITA
Men and women’s classic sprint

Sunday, Jan. 10, Val di Fiemme, ITA
Women’s 10k freestyle mass start hill climb
Men’s 10k freestyle mass start hill climb

HOW TO WATCH

Friday, Jan. 1
5:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski Men and Women's Sprint - LIVE, Val Müstair, SUI, Streaming Peacock

Saturday, Jan. 2
6:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski Women's 10k Mass Start - LIVE, Val Müstair SUI, Streaming Peacock
8:45 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski Men's 15k Mass Start - LIVE, Val Müstair, SUI, Streaming Peacock

Sunday, Jan. 3
5:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski Men's 15k Pursuit - LIVE, Val Müstair, SUI, Streaming Peacock
9:30 a.m. FIS Cross Country World Cup Tour de Ski Women's 10k Pursuit - LIVE, Val Müstair, SUI, Streaming Peacock

The remaining Broadcast/Streaming Schedule will be available here!