Therese Johaug beats 20 men up the hill: 'Not surprised'

Therese Johaug beats 20 men up the hill: 'Not surprised'

Therese Johaug was the first up the Alpe Cermis as she claimed her fourth overall victory in the Tour de Ski, outpacing 20 male competitors in the challenging uphill race.

"I have beaten men before and am not surprised," Johaug stated.

Removing the initial flatter section and focusing solely on the ascent (3.6 km with an average slope of 11.6%), Johaug clocked a time of 17:57, significantly ahead of Petter Northug, who participated in a recreational race earlier on Sunday, finishing 36 seconds behind her.

"It feels great to beat him up there," Johaug remarked to NRK.

Johaug excels in steep climbs, having won nine consecutive final stages in past editions of the Tour de Ski.

The only occasion she finished outside of a top position came in 2008 when Charlotte Kalla won the event and Johaug was fourth in the uphill stage, which then utilized a different start format.

Now, Johaug's plan is to take a brief recovery period before competing in the Norwegian Championships in Gåsbu from January 15-19, instead of participating in the World Cup in Les Rousses, France, where Frida Karlsson is making her comeback after missing the tour.

Next, Johaug intends to compete in Falun on February 14-16 as a warm-up for the World Championships in Trondheim from February 26 to March 9. Having most of the Swedish stars absent due to a high-altitude camp in Italy, the organizers still expect a prominent name of Johaug's caliber to participate.