Klæbo starts strong - fastest in sprint prologue

Klæbo starts strong - fastest in sprint prologue
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo continues to show strong form. He kicked off the Tour de Ski by clocking the fastest time in the sprint prologue.

Klæbo, who has dominated the sprint competitions in the World Cup, was once again the favorite heading into this event. The winner of the sprint receives 60 bonus seconds for the overall standings, while the 30th place earns four seconds. Additionally, the qualification time is factored into the overall ranking.

Other competitors who progressed to the knockout stages included Erik Valnes, Even Northug, Harald Østberg Amundsen, and Håvard Moseby, whereas Iver Tildheim Andersen, Andreas Fjorden Ree, Simen Hegstad Krüger, Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget, and Jan Thomas Jenssen were eliminated.

The knockout rounds are scheduled to start at 14:30. Östberg Amundsen, the reigning champion, will face stiff competition from Klæbo, who missed last year's Tour due to illness. Klæbo boasts three overall victories from previous seasons: 2018/19, 2021/22, and 2022/23.