Finnish Ski Stars Celebrate Historic Tour – Strong Opposition from Norway: "Some Kind of Hell"

The Tour de Ski, part of the cross-country skiing World Cup, will occur at the turn of the year in a historic context, featuring only one country and two competition locations: Italy, specifically Toblach and Val di Fiemme.

This marks the 19th iteration of the premier event in the World Cup circuit. There's a significant difference compared to the inaugural years; for instance, the second edition during the 2007–2008 season involved travel between competition venues that was tenfold compared to now.

Finnish skiing elites, Kerttu Niskanen and Krista Pärmäkoski, are glad for the change. Niskanen appreciates the reduction in travel demands, while Pärmäkoski, who has previously announced potentially retiring from the Tour, has returned, citing the easier logistics as beneficial for both herself and her dog.

Pärmäkoski emphasized that less travel decreases fatigue and illness risk, enabling a wider participation of top athletes. "If we aim to have all the strongest competitors, this is how it should be organized," she states, suggesting that environmental considerations could allow for fewer competition locations. "Competitive skiing is the main focus."

Michal Lamplot, the competition director for cross-country skiing at FIS, noted that this decision stemmed from consistent feedback from teams requesting a tighter Tour schedule, minimizing travel which often leads to exhaustion and illness.

This year's format offers more extended stays at venues, where athletes will remain in Toblach for almost a week, impacting their overall well-being. Lamplot stressed, "Today, our priority is to provide exciting races in great places; traveling for 8–10 hours is no longer paramount."

The competition line-up features a stellar cast, with some prominent athletes missing due to health issues, including Iivo Niskanen and Perttu Hyvärinen from Finland and Sweden's Frida Karlsson. However, star athlete Therese Johaug from Norway has decided to compete despite it being a championship year, highlighting the need for practice opportunities leading to the world championships.

Norwegian commentators warn, however, of significant harms related to hosting such a compact Tour. Aune, head of the Norwegian ski team, raised concerns over the lack of willing hosts due to financial losses last year at other locations and proposed that potentially hosting the Tour solely in one country may not be the best approach in the long run.

Johaug also pointed out that the compact nature of the Tour requires careful consideration of the athletes' overall loads while maintaining its competitive essence. The hope remains that the Tour de Ski will continue successfully with exciting races despite the logistical changes.

The future of the Tour might yet involve its previous format in 2025, promising a larger festival across multiple regions, which many, including former competitors, hope it can return to in subsequent years.