Erik Valnes Frustrated by Time Loss in Tour de Ski

Tour de Ski | Erik Valnes Frustrated by Time Loss

Erik Valnes (28) believes he could have strolled to a second place in the overall standings of the Tour de Ski if he hadn't made mistakes along the way.

Before the critical 7th stage up the challenging Alpe Cermis, Valnes trails the dominant Johannes Høsflot Klæbo by 2.18 seconds, while closely behind him, eight other competitors are within a minute.

Valnes had a solid Saturday during the skiathlon, finishing in a commendable 7th place. He acknowledges, however, that maintaining his second place will be a tough endeavor.

"It probably won’t last beyond 200 meters up the hill," he remarked.

Valnes has had a good run through the tournament with consistent performances but is yearning for more from his sprint and skate performances. "I have shown I can be a good all-rounder. It’s irritating to think about the seconds I’ve wasted. Without that loss, I’m confident I could have been in second place by now."

Despite this, he remains determined not to give up without a fight in the final stretch. "I’ll give it my best shot. I performed well up that hill last year, and with a performance like that again, it could be a good day. My goal is to climb the podium during my career, especially as I approach 30, so it stings knowing I’ve squandered precious seconds and minutes."

Valnes has shown commendable consistency leading up to the championships, placing him within contention for the sprint team and potentially for the classic 10 km event as well. With evident determination, he acknowledges an impending battle for a spot on the team against veteran Pål Golberg.

Valnes reflected, "Sure, I have beaten him in all previous races, but should he secure the national title in the 10 km and I finish fourth or fifth, that would flip the situation. We’re headed toward a fair and tense competition for that place at the Norwegian Championships."

Source: NTB