Weng twins on top as Norwegians close gap to Karlsson
Jan 06, 2023·Cross-Country
The fight for the women's overall 2022-23 Tour de Ski title tightened as the Weng twins made Friday's classic sprint in Val di Fiemme, Italy, an all-Norwegian family affair.
Lotta and Tiril Udnes Weng grabbed the two top spots in the final in the first of three deciding days of the tour, Lotta finishing 0.35 second before her sister as compatriot Mathilde Myhrvold claimed the third place to complete the Norwegian 1-2-3.
"[It feels] very good," Lotta Udnes Weng said.
"When I see the results and Mathilde and Tiril are behind me, it's a rush in the body."
Germany's Katharina Hennig had been in front for most of the final, Lotta Udnes Weng sitting at the back of the group as Tiril led the chase. Coming into the last stretch, however, Hennig saw the three Norwegians gear up and pass her, missing the podium by 0.16 second.
"We knew we were good in the end so we planned to let the other girls do the job and we could just chill behind there," Lotta Udnes Weng said.
It was the 26-year-old's first individual World Cup victory this season.
Overall Tour de Ski leader Frida Karlsson from Sweden had been eliminated in the quarterfinal, giving the opponents a chance to close the gap to her.
Having had a 1:28 lead coming into the final leg of the tour, Karlsson's advantage ahead of No.2 Tiril Udnes Weng shrunk to 41 seconds, with Saturday's 15km mass start and Sunday's 10km mass start final climb remaining.
"I think it will be two tough races, especially the last day. I'm not looking forward to the climb," Tiril Udnes Weng said.
Finland's Krista Parmakoski is in the overall third place, 1:05 after Karlsson, while Lotta Udnes Weng's win brought her up to a fourth place, 1:27 from the top.
In the men's classic sprint, Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo made no mistake to claim his fifth victory in five events at this Tour de Ski, looking unstoppable coming into the last two days of the competition.
The Norwegian 26-year-old controlled the final and stayed among the top-two for most of the 1.2km race to extend his lead in the tour despite a strong finish from second-placed Calle Halvarsson from Sweden. Italy's Simone Mocellini finished third.
Klaebo however said the semifinal, where USA's 22-year-old Ben Ogden had shocked the opponents with a furious pace, had been a tougher race.
"Ben was pushing really, really hard. I think that one was really tough," Klaebo said.
"In the final we did a little slower pace into the top and then I just tried to be in a good position before the last flat part. I had good skis, Calle was strong today so I was [just about winning]. I am really satisfied with today's race."
Klaebo is in pole position coming into the last event of the tour, 58 seconds ahead of Halfvarsson, who will be in the fight for the last two podium positions with Pellegrino and Paal Golberg, who are 1:08 and 1:09 seconds behind Klaebo respectively.
"All the day has been really good, I felt really good in the semifinal and in the final. I was really close to Klaebo also, that was really fun," Halfvarsson said.
"I like Val di Fiemme and Italy overall. The air here is really nice and the atmosphere is really good here."
The Swedish 33-year-old has kicked back from a tough start to the tour, having missed top-10 in the events in Val Müstair, Switzerland, before getting two fourth-places in Oberstdorf, Germany.
"The start of the tour was not so good for me. I did a bad sprint in Val Müstair and the distance at the altitude was also not so good. But I've progressed coming into the tour and now it feels really good," Halfvarsson said.
"I feel really good for tomorrow [Saturday]. I had really good skis today and my shape is still really good so if I get the same skis tomorrow I hope I can go for a new finish against Klaebo."
Home hope Mocellini gave the crowds standing along the course in the northern-Italian town something to cheer for as he pushed past France's Lucas Chanavat in the last stretch to claim his second World Cup podium.
"It was a really good race. I had family and friends here and many people from this town were at the stadium so I am super happy that I could manage to get into the top three," the 24-year-old Mocellini said.
