FIS | Klaebo cruises to record-equalling fourth Tour de Ski triumph

Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) confirmed his status as the best men’s cross-country skier of his generation with a fourth FIS Tour de Ski victory, tying the record held by Dario Cologna (SUI).

With an overall lead of two minutes, 18 seconds, over compatriot Erik Valnes (NOR), the Norwegian, 28, could afford to finish more than a minute off the lead in 18th position in the Tour’s final race, a gruelling 10km Freestyle (Final Climb) up the formidable Alpe Cermis in Val di Fiemme, Italy.

He eventually finished 1:23 ahead of Mika Vermeulen (AUT) in the standings with climbing specialist Hugo Lapalus (FRA) finishing third in the Tour for the second season running after coming fourth in the Final Climb, one place lower than last year.

Vermeulen’s second place in Sunday’s race behind Simen Hegstad Krueger (NOR) put him third in the standings for the inaugural purple bib for the Tour’s best climber, which was won by Lapalus.

The 19th edition of the Tour de Ski ended, as all the previous ones had, with a freestyle climb in Val di Fiemme. And after six gruelling stages, this was arguably the toughest one of all.

On a course of two distinct halves, the skiers begin with a fairly flat but winding section through the Lago di Tesero stadium followed by a very gradual downhill section up to the 6.8km mark. From that point, it’s all uphill to the finish line.

Klaebo knew he just had to stay in touch before the uphill section and he did just that, setting a steady pace and responding to any attempts to break away from the leading pack.

As well as leading the Tour overall, he had virtually unassailable lead in the sprint standings and made sure of winning a fifth silver bib by picking up a maximum of 15 bonus points at 6.8km.

From 7.5km onwards, the climbing specialists took over. Krueger, on a revenge mission after falling in Saturday’s 20km Skiathlon, was closely followed by Vermeulen, with a gap opening up to Lapalus, Friedrich Moch (GER) and the rest.

It was never likely to be enough to overhaul Klaebo, though, the undisputed king of cross country.

With 400 World Cup points on offer for the Tour de Ski winner, Klaebo now has a big lead over last year’s winner Harald Oestberg Amundsen (NOR) in the race for the Crystal Globe, which would be Klaebo’s fifth.

Vermeulen said he was "obviously" happy to have made it from fourth to second place in the overall standings in the last day of the Tour.

”It is a dream come true,” the 25-year-old said.

Click here for full results from Val di Fiemme.

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