Finland's top skier faced a troubling issue at the Tour – expert reveals heavy pressure behind the scenes

In the Val di Fiemme competitions, the course layout has emerged as the main topic of discussion. Finnish and international stars have voiced concerns regarding the sprint track. In a recent broadcast, Yle's expert Ville Nousiainen remarked that he would send the sprint track to the moon for its flaws. On the following Saturday, he also expressed strong disapproval of the course used for the combined event.

— This track is incredibly easy for mass starts. If we run this in the Olympics, we will need completely different skills compared to the Olympic distances, Nousiainen stated while covering the 20 kilometer race, which had only completed 2.5 kilometers.

Nousiainen noted that the only challenging aspects of the track were the turns, with the heaviest portions becoming apparent after the first kilometer.

Unlike typical formats, the races were exclusively conducted on the freestyle side of Val di Fiemme, with both classical and freestyle ski techniques utilizing a single 3.3-kilometer loop.

— Differences only emerged toward the end as about 20 competitors were asked to finish their last ascent. We must remember that many tired athletes participate in the Tour de Ski. Some of these men wouldn’t ski this course in important events. With all the best taking part, can they produce differences? This remains uncertain. There will be sprints to watch, Nousiainen described.

As on Saturday, the exceptional Johannes Hösflot Kläbo dominated the competition. Nousiainen commented that in such races, Kläbo is incredibly adept in descents and hard to beat.

— This track seems tailored for Kläbo, Nousiainen noted during the race.

— He is such an excellent descender and optimizes everything in these type of races.

Kläbo excelled in the combined competition, finishing with a remarkable time.

Positively, the normal distance courses for the upcoming Olympics had limited use, only employing this loop. The traditions of classical skiing require heavier routes, aiming for a better standard during the events.

According to Aftonbladet, the unusual solution at the Tour arose because the landowner did not grant permission to use the classical ski track. The FIS has maintained that they, or the event organizers, had no control over the matter.

Nousiainen stated that suitable routes can be built in Val di Fiemme for the Olympics. He expressed hope that heavier tracks would be unveiled during the Olympics’ normal distance events.

— I have communicated with the teams, particularly the Finnish team, and the larger groups are feeling the pressure. They want tougher courses such that different skiers can excel in sprints and normal distances. It would prevent everyone from being the same mass. We’ll see if any changes come about. This track is overly simple, especially for men, Nousiainen remarked.

A Confusing Issue for Ruuskanen

Arsi Ruuskanen noted as the top Finnish skier, finishing 23rd, termed his placement a disappointment. He trailed the winner by one minute and 7.1 seconds and specifically lamented a poor ski exchange—a moment he found particularly frustrating.

— I fell quite far behind there. With the movable bindings, they were loose. I don’t know why. If I had just started skiing, the ski could have slipped off. When I noticed it, everything went wrong. Panic set in. I almost couldn’t get my skis back on properly, Ruuskanen explained.

Finland’s head coach Teemu Pasanen was uncertain as to why this issue occurred, implying it highlighted forces beyond their control.

Vuorinen's Uncertainty

The biggest question mark after the day’s competition was Lauri Vuorinen. He finished 44th, trailing the leaders by three minutes and 55.7 seconds. Vuorinen faced issues throughout the Tour in terms of normal distance races. During Saturday’s event, he managed to snag a few sprint points early on the race.

— Is it even worth continuing this Tour? My placements have continuously slipped. He had previously been fit but is likely experiencing fatigue from the Tour now. Saturday’s combined event felt unexpectedly demanding for him, according to Yle Urheilu’s skiing expert Aino-Kaisa Saarinen in the sports studio.

Pasanen confirmed that Vuorinen is indeed showing signs of weariness as he progresses through the Tour.

— Perttu seemed good initially, but I can’t maintain my own tough pace. I hit the wall quickly, Vuorinen said concerning issues that surfaced during the Tour when speaking to STT.

Vuorinen remains puzzled about the underlying causes of these performance issues.

— I feel healthy, Vuorinen emphasized.

Despite everything, Vuorinen will still venture into the concluding segment of the series at the Alpe Cermis ascent on Sunday.

— I don’t know if it’s worthwhile, but of course, I will ski right to the end, now that I am here, Vuorinen affirmed.

Yet, Vuorinen is not worried about his season highlight, the Trondheim World Championships in late February to early March.

— I believe I can ski fast again when I recover from this.

Tour de Ski Results

Tour de Ski results will come after this event, highlighting Finland’s ongoing performance in cross-country events and insights into potential routes for future competitions.