In Toblach - Vermeulen finishes tenth on New Year's Eve in the Tour de Ski

In Toblach, Mika Vermeulen has wrapped up the old year with a strong performance, finishing in tenth place during the Tour de Ski on New Year's Eve. The 20-km skating race was won by Norwegian athlete Astrid Oeyre Slind, who finished 3.3 seconds ahead of her compatriot Therese Johaug and 20.3 seconds ahead of Finnish skier Kerttu Niskanen. Teresa Stadlober, unfortunately, finished in 23rd place, with a time 2:01.9 behind.

The competition saw Vermeulen facing tough conditions but he remarked, "It was a challenging day, and things didn’t go as planned. But I gave it my all, and I'm not discouraged!"

In the women’s overall standings, American Jessie Diggins saw her lead reduce after finishing in sixth place (+36.3). Niskanen trails just 22 seconds behind her, followed by Slind at 32 seconds and Johaug at 41 seconds. Stadlober finds herself in 14th overall (+3:05). The next challenge in the Tour de Ski schedule involves pursuit races covering 15 km in classical style on New Year’s Day.