He threw his skis and poles to the ground, walked straight past the media zone, and sat down at a table by the backpack control.

Kasper Stadaas was not very talkative after crossing the finish line at Birken on Saturday morning. And that is not surprising considering what may have been at stake.

That could be the reality for the 32-year-old from Team Aker Dæhlie.

Torleif Syrstad broke away from the field after Skramstad and won Birkebeinerrennet by more than four minutes. But behind him, around ten skiers were fighting for second place.

For two of them, about €26,000 in prize money was at stake: Amund Riege and Kasper Stadaas, both from Team Aker Dæhlie, were first and second, respectively, in the battle for the overall lead.

Also Read: Strong performances set the tone at Birkebeinerrennet 2026

Drama before the finish

From the moment Syrstad attacked, Stadaas was leading the chasing group and skiing ahead of Riege. But then things went wrong.

Just a few hundred meters from the finish, Stadaas crashed. The entire lead group passed him.

Even though the powerful Team Aker Dæhlie skier fought his way back strongly, the distance to the finish was too short. Stadaas had no chance in the fight for the podium and finished in 12th place, two seconds behind Riege, who placed fourth.

As a result, the season may already be decided. With three races remaining, Riege now leads by 249 points ahead of Stadaas in second place.

Before Birken, Riege led by 69 points over Stadaas. Had Stadaas avoided the bad luck and secured the second place he appeared to have under control until the finish, Riege would have finished fifth at Birken. In that case, Stadaas would have taken over the yellow bib and led the overall standings by 31 points.

Ski Classics overall standings after Birkebeinerrennet

Top 3 Men, Ski Classics Champion Competition

1. Amund Riege, Team Aker Dæhlie, 2302 points
2. Kasper Stadaas, Team Aker Dæhlie, 2053 points
3. Ole Jørgen Bruvoll, Team Engcon, 1982 points

Check skiclassics.com for overall standings and all about Ski Classics.

Not the first time

The situation is similar to what Kasper Stadaas experienced in the 2024 season. At that time, he wore the Yellow bib from the season opener until three races remained. Back then, illness at the worst possible moment ruined his chances of winning the overall title.

This year, a crash just a few hundred meters from the finish at Birken may do the same.

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