Yle Sporten broadcasts: In-form Pärmäkoski and Niskanen go for victory in the classic mass start in Val di Fiemme

Time for the penultimate stage of the Tour de Ski, mass start of 15 kilometers with classic technique, where Krista Pärmäkoski and Kerttu Niskanen challenge Frida Karlsson.

At 12.40 Ladies 15 km classic, mass start, Val di Fiemme

Finland: 3 Krista Pärmäkoski, 5 Kerttu Niskanen, 22 Anne Kyllönen

Commentator: Mikael Oivo

Pärmäkoski in top form for his parade stage – does Niskanen finally get it in Val di Fiemme?

For Krista Pärmäkoski, the mass start with classic technique in Val di Fiemme has been one of the most successful World Cup races of her career. Six times she has finished in the top four – three times she has stood on the podium.

In current form, Pärmäkoski has a chance to go for victory. That this year it is 15 kilometers instead of the previous ten should only be an advantage for Krista, at least against strong sprinters but a little less endurance like Tiril Udnes Weng.

Kerttu Niskanen has never been on the podium in Val di Fiemme, although she has been close several times. The track profile has not favored her qualities. The fact that the race is five kilometers longer than before is at least as big an advantage for Kerttu as it is for Krista.

If everything goes well, we may see two Finns on the podium.

Maybe also a place among the top 15 or even top ten in the future for Anne Kyllönen, who started to look more and more lively, while a large part of the competitors started to drop the longer the tour went on.

Frida Karlsson’s lead was halved – holding her head?

Today’s sprint and 16th place there was Frida Karlsson’s first failure during the Tour de Ski. Her lead margin more than halved and is now 41 seconds to runner-up Tiril Udnes Weng. Krista Pärmäkoski is just over a minute behind the Swede.

Karlsson is definitely one of the early favorites in today’s race, perhaps the biggest. The 23-year-old Swede probably still feels a little extra pressure after Friday’s miss. Keep your head? And does her material work as well in Val di Fiemme as in the two previous competition locations?

In addition to the Finns, Karlsson is challenged today by Tiril Udnes Weng and Katarina Hennig. If someone outside of this quintet crosses the finish line first today, it will be a blast.

The top ten in the race are awarded bonus seconds. The winner gets 15 seconds, second 12, third 10, etc.

At 14.25 Men’s 15 km classic, mass start, Val di Fiemme

Finland: 22 Perttu Hyvärinen, 30 Markus Vuorela

Commentator: Mikael Oivo

Time for Hyvärinen to deliver?

During the tour, Perttu Hyvärinen has been a positive surprise in the sprint races, where he managed to advance from the qualifying races against expectations. At the normal distances, however, Hyvärinen’s performances have not been what he expected.

Today’s competition format and course have suited Hyvärinen well, at least in previous years. Last year he finished 11th at this distance. Something similar today would be encouraging considering the main goal of the season, the WC in Planica.

The fact that Markus Vuorela also made it to the quarter-finals in the sprint speaks for his body starting to get in shape. Two years ago, Vuorela was the best Finn on the tour when he finished 21st overall. That time he came 16th in Val di Fiemme at today’s distance.

Chance for Klæbo to break Ustiugov’s record

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo has won the first five races of the Tour de Ski, thus touching Sergei Ustiugov’s record from the 2016-17 season. Today, the Norman can break the record and further extend his lead on the tour.

Last year, Iivo Niskanen tried to break Klæbo in the mass start in Val di Fiemme without success. At the end, the Norwegian went away and opened a gap of 20 seconds to the Finn. If even a top form Iivo can’t shake off Klæbo on this course, how on earth is anyone else going to do it?

Feels like the only thing that can stop Klæbo is catastrophically bad skiing.

The fight for the podium places on the tour behind Klæbo is even. There, runner-up Calle Halfvarsson and third-place Federico Pellegrino try to hold off a sextet of Norwegians in positions four to nine.