Tour de Ski - Only Gimmler impresses at the start

Tour de Ski - Only Gimmler impresses at the start

With the freestyle sprints in Toblach, the Tour de Ski kicked off on Saturday (December 28, 2023) in its 19th edition. Laura Gimmler advanced to the semifinals and was the best German finisher. Victoria Carl and Friedrich Moch were eliminated in the qualification phase.

The weakened German women’s team had a tumultuous start to the Tour de Ski on Saturday (December 28, 2024) with only a few bright spots. Laura Gimmler delivered the best performance for the German Ski Association (DSV) by finishing tenth in the race won by American Jessie Diggins, matching her best result of the season.

Diggins reinforced her favorite status for the overall Tour de Ski victory right from the first race. Following her previous winter success, the 33-year-old is targeting her third victory in the prestigious stage race. She edged out Finnish athlete Jasmi Joensuu (+0.31 seconds) at the finish line, who celebrated her first World Cup podium. Swiss competitor Nadine Fähndrich came in third (+0.47).

Carl eliminated in qualification

After Katharina Hennig and Coletta Rydzek had to withdraw due to health issues, all hopes were pinned on Victoria Carl for the German women. Unfortunately, she finished 33rd in the qualification round. However, her strengths typically lie in distance events where she might perform better in the 15-km individual scheduled for Sunday (12:30 local time).

The Olympic team sprint winner had previously been in contention for a historic Top 3 finish for a German woman at the Tour but ultimately fell short last year, finishing ninth. "We had expected a bit more from both the younger athletes and Victoria Carl," said national coach Peter Schlickenrieder, adding, "There's definitely room for improvement."

Gimmler in strong form

Alongside Gimmler, teammate Sofie Krehl also made it to the quarterfinals. While Krehl gave a promising performance, she missed advancing further into the next round. In contrast, Gimmler showed exceptional pacing, leading during most of the race. However, she could not maintain the pace halfway through and lost critical time, finishing fifth with a gap of over one and a half seconds, but she can be pleased with her solid start to the Tour.

Moch trails at the start

In the men’s event, Friedrich Moch was set to take center stage, as he had finished an astonishing second in the overall standings last year. Given the overwhelming dominance of the Norwegians this winter, Moch kept expectations manageable, acknowledging that "it’s going to be quite a challenge."

The qualification round saw an intense pace that ultimately proved too much for Moch, who prefers longer distances. He placed 78th after finishing with a 17-second deficit. Other German competitors like Anian Sossau (39th), Janosch Brugger (52nd), Florian Notz (97th), and Albert Kuchler (99th) also faced early exits.

Only Stölben and Kastner in the quarterfinals

Better luck was had by Jan Stölben and Marius Kastner, who made it to the quarterfinals. While they both kept pace, they lacked the final push necessary for semi-final advancement. Stölben finished fifth, trailing by 1.31 seconds, and Kastner finished fourth but was diminished by fatigue before the finish line (+0.76 seconds).

The first stage win went to Johannes Høsflot Klaebo, who displayed commanding dominance from the start to his 88th World Cup victory. Klaebo defeated French competitor Lucas Chanavat (+0.42 seconds) and Janik Riebli from Switzerland (+0.49 seconds). Klaebo has previously won the Tour de Ski three times. Last year, fellow Norwegian Harald Östberg Amundsen claimed victory.

Compact Tour de Ski

This year, the Tour de Ski takes place solely in Italy. Over the coming days until January 1st, races will include individual, interval starts, and pursuit events. Following two days of breaks and travel, the concluding weekend will occur in Val di Fiemme with sprints in classic style and skiathlon events. The event traditionally concludes with mass starts featuring the notorious final ascent of the Olimpia III descent to Alpe Cermis.