Cross-country skiing: Austria’s Mika Vermeulen now third in the Tour de Ski
Mika Vermeulen put in another fine performance on the penultimate stage of the Tour de Ski in Val di Fiemme (Italy). In the skiathlon contested on Saturday, the Austrian placed fifth, just 5.1 seconds behind Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo, the winner.
Throughout the cross-country race, he was at the front of the pack. He even led the pack on several occasions and took part in the battle for the podium as the finish approached. The 25-year-old skier, aggressive and committed, finished 1.2 seconds off third place. Italy’s Federico Pellegrino (+2.4 seconds) and Norway’s Jan Thomas Jenssen (+3.9 seconds) completed the top 3.
“I have the impression that I was one of the most active and strongest riders, but unfortunately it’s not always the strongest that wins in this type of competition. Nevertheless, I’m extremely satisfied with my performance today. Tomorrow, I’m going to give it my all”, declared the cross-country skier from the other side of the Rhine.
In the overall classification, Mika Vermeulen is now in third place, tied with Norway’s Haavard Moseby. He had woken up in 4th position. His deficit on the Tour de Ski leader is now 2.29 minutes.
“Before the final stage, I’m confident. But there are several dangerous competitors like Hugo Lapalus, Andreas Fjorden Ree and Haavard Moseby. We’ll have to keep an eye on how they behave,” concluded Mika Vermeulen in a statement from his federation.
Le Cluse, his most dangerous rival, is just fifteen seconds behind him. In ambush, then. Last year, the two men battled it out for a place on the podium of the Alpe Cermis climb. At the finish, just twelve seconds separated them. The Frenchman was the fastest, leaving the Austrian at the foot of the box. This time, the German will be going all out for the overall title, as will Hugo Lapalus.
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