Tour de Ski - Vermeulen fifth in pursuit, Kläbo leads the way

Mika Vermeulen finished fifth in the 15 km pursuit at the Tour de Ski on New Year’s Day in Toblach!

Vermeulen, who started the race from the tenth position, trailed winner Harald Östberg Amundsen by just 9.5 seconds. Edvin Anger from Sweden came in second (+2.5 seconds), followed by Johannes Høsflot Kläbo in third (+5.3 seconds), who maintains the lead in the overall standings.

In the women’s race, the battle was fierce between 36-year-old Norwegian skiers Astrid Oeyre Slind and Therese Johaug. Slind won the sprint finish with a margin of just 0.2 seconds. Starting in 15th place the day before, Terese Stadlober advanced to finish 11th, missing the top ten by 0.9 seconds.

Vermeulen expressed pleasure about securing his best result yet. He noted, "I experienced strong collaboration with a capable group and even contemplated the possibility of reaching the podium during the race."

In the women’s event, Stadlober highlighted her improvement with a strong fourth-fastest time in her race, indicating her satisfaction with the progress after experiencing the previous day’s challenges.