"That devil got away" – Yle's skiing expert faced tough challenges in the legendary Alpe Cermis final ascent competition

"That devil got away" – Yle's ski expert Ville Nousiainen faced significant challenges during the legendary Alpe Cermis final ascent competition | Sports | Yle

Ville Nousiainen participated in the Rampa con i Campioni competition and finished in eighth place. Former skiing greats Dario Cologna, Petter Northug, and Niklas Dyrhaug were just too strong.

Former Tour de Ski champion Dario Cologna from Switzerland claimed the victory with a time of 31:29.9. Nousiainen lagged behind Cologna by 1 minute and 35.5 seconds. Before the race, Nousiainen aimed to defeat Norway's Petter Northug but finished 51.9 seconds behind him.

Upon reaching the steep section of the climb, Nousiainen remarked, "That devil got away when the first steep climbs began. I simply gave way and said go ahead. My breath started to fail me. I kept glancing to see when the steep part would come, but I eventually finished."

This was Nousiainen's fifth climb at Alpe Cermis, although he hadn't done it since 2014. He admitted that the experience felt tougher now than back then and that he struggled to communicate after the grueling ascent. After finishing, he acknowledged that while the conditions mattered, last year even the top athletes took over 33 minutes to complete the ascent.

Après his performance, he humorously declined to make any promises for a return next year, stating, "I can’t promise anything."

Here are the top eight finishers at the Rampa con I Campioni (Alpe Cermis final ascent):

1. Dario Cologna (Switzerland) 31:29.9
2. Paolo Fanton (Italy) +15.8
3. Toni Escher (Germany) +24.4
4. Petter Northug (Norway) +43.6
5. Niklas Dyrhaug +1:13.5
6. Luca Compagnoni (Italy) +1:16.3
7. Dirk Debertin (Germany) +1:19.2
8. Ville Nousiainen (Finland) +1:35.5

More on this topic: - How challenging is the climb at Alpe Cermis? Watch the informative video - Only two men from Finland in the legendary Alpe Cermis ascent – watch live alpine skiing