Cross-country skiing: “A childhood dream come true”, says Mika Vermeulen
During the final stage of the Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme (Italy), Mika Vermeulen quite simply wrote a page in the history of Austrian cross-country skiing. Fighting with an iron will on the steep slopes of the Alpe Cermis, he finished in second place (+7.8 sec.), behind Norway’s Simen Hegstad Krueger.
Thanks to this fabulous performance, the 25-year-old also secured a spectacular second place (+1’23) in the overall classification of the tour, at the expense of Frenchman Hugo Lapalus who could have taken the title of first runner-up to Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo on this climb. Le Cluse, his most dangerous rival, was only fifteen seconds behind him at the start. This meant that he was not allowed to make any mistakes or lose momentum.
Mika Vermeulen thus becomes the first Austrian to reach the podium in this competition.
Until the start of the climb, the peloton remained unified. The leader of the ÖSV cross-country team then took up a position at the front, leading the caravan through the demanding Alpe Cermis on several occasions.
With around 800 metres to go, he even broke away from the rest of the group, with Norwegian Simen Hegstad Krueger on his skis. As he approached the finish line, however, Mika Vermeulen had to let the Scandinavian pass him, who was extremely strong today.
“This second place at the Tour de Ski is a childhood dream come true. To be here alongside the best skiers in the world is simply indescribable. I imagined it, but I honestly didn’t expect it, and when it happens, it’s simply magnificent,” said the skier, moved.
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