Cross-country skiing : second World Cup victory for Gus Schumacher
After a day’s rest, the twentieth edition of the Tour de Ski resumed on Wednesday in Toblach ( Italy). On this third stage, the cross-country skiers took part in a new format on the World Cup: a 5-kilometre mass-start skate heat.
This new format had its share of surprises. It was in the second heat, the most open of all, that the top seven finishers finally emerged. American Gus Schumacher won the sprint, completing the course in 9 minutes 35 seconds 4. This was his second World Cup victory, following his success in the individual skate race in Minneapolis (United States) in February 2024.
Austrian Benjamin Moser climbed onto his very first World Cup podium with a second-place finish. After narrowly losing out to the American in the sprint, the 28-year-old cross-country skier put in his best-ever performance, far surpassing his previous best: eighth place in the skate sprint in Toblach (Italy) last Sunday.
The podium was rounded off by young Norwegian talent Lars Heggen, who led the way in this second series. This is his second World Cup podium, following his second place in the sprint skate on Sunday, and also consolidates his second place overall.
Cluse Jules Chappaz, competing in this second series, played his card to the hilt. Always well placed, the Frenchman tried to make up ground in the final straight. He finished fourth in his heat and set the fourth fastest time overall, just one tenth behind the third-placed rider and seven tenths off victory. He finished just ahead of Great Britain’s James Clugnet, who put in his best ever World Cup performance.
Next in the top 10 were the Czech Michal Novak, sixth, and Finland’s Niilo Moilanen, seventh, both also from the second series. Norway’s Emil Iversen, the first cross-country skier not to feature in the second series, took eighth place, ahead of his compatriot Andreas Fjorden Ree and France’s Richard Jouve, who rounded off the top 10.
Next in the French camp was Rémi Bourdin in 20th place. Théo Schely is 23rd, Hugo Lapalus 25th, Clément Parisse 32nd, Jules Lapierre 36th, Victor Lovera 54th and Lucas Chanavat 101st.
The full rankings
2026CC2278RLThe general classification of the Tour de Ski
2026CC2278TDSThe overall distance ranking
2026CC2278WCDIThe overall World Cup standings
2026CC2278WCOVRead also
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