Hugo Lapalus third in the Tour de Ski, Johannes Klaebo crowned for the 4th time

Hugo Lapalus third in the Tour de Ski, Johannes Klaebo crowned for the 4th time

Hugo Lapalus finished fourth on the Alpe Cermis on Sunday, securing his third place overall in the Tour de Ski, just like last year. Meanwhile, Norwegian Simon Krueger won the race, but Johannes Klaebo, as expected, took his fourth Tour de Ski title.

Lapalus, who was the first Frenchman to reach the Tour de Ski podium last year after Maurice Manificat in 2021, has now established himself as the only skier to have two podium finishes in this prestigious early winter event in cross-country skiing. Starting the final stage in fifth overall, Lapalus made a strong ascent of the Alpe Cermis - an average gradient of 24% - once again showcasing his prowess in climbing and finishing third overall.

Behind him, Krueger raced ahead from the base of the climb, showing dominating form after he had encountered difficulties the day before. Krueger, the Olympic champion in skiathlon from 2018 and winner at the Alpe Cermis three times prior, pressed on in the final stretch to finish ahead of his competitors.

Despite finishing 18th in the final stage, Klaebo already had a more than 2-minute lead over the field, which allowed him to equal the record for the most Tour de Ski titles held by Swiss skier Dario Cologna (4) with a time 1'23” ahead of Vermeulen and 1'44” ahead of Lapalus.

The French team faced significant challenges with numerous withdrawals due to illness and injury in this Tour, yet they can be pleased with young Mathis Desloges’ strong performance, who finished 8th overall in his first Tour after finishing 13th in the stage today.

Read more about ski-related events and competitions at L'Équipe.