Season XII’s sixth Visma Ski Classics event, 55-kilometer Engadin La Diagonela in Zuoz, Switzerland, saw Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, and Ida Dahl, Team Ramudden, winning the race in superior style.

In the men’s race, that started at 8:55 CET, the action started at the early at the 5.2km mark Sprint, with Fabián Štoček, Vltava Fund Ski Team, crossing first, followed by Stian Berg, Kaffebryggeriet and Adam Matouš, ED System Silvini Team.

The second and last Sprint checkpoint was also early in the race at 14.2km, with fast man Mikael Gunnulfsen, Team Koteng Eidissen, taking the points. He was followed by Emil Persson, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Max Novak, Team Ramudden. From there, the main group of contenders kept together for the entire race.

We started to see some action again with 33km to go when Didrik Tøenseth, Team Engcon, hit the front, setting the pace and reducing the leading group considerably. And with 19km to go, the legend Anders Aukland, Team Ragde Charge, tried a breakaway, showing that age is just a number.

At the last 10km of the race, about 30 skiers were in front with Max Novak, Team Ramudden, Oskar Kardin, Team Ragde Charge, and Mikael Gunnulfsen, Team Koteng Eidissen, crossing the mark first. 

But the significant action came on the last kilometers. Max Novak, Team Ramudden, was in the offensive, always in the front of the remaining 20 skiers’ group. With 1.5km to go, Novak again upped the pace and stretched the field in a single line up the last hill, leaving 12 men to fight for the win.

Maxim Vylegzanin, Russian Winter Team, tried his luck with 500 meters remaining, but three Norwegians battled for the podium places.

Kasper Stadaas, Team Ragde Charge, had an impressive sprint and won his first-ever Visma Ski Classics Pro Tour event, followed by Stian Hoelgaard, Team Curira, 0.2 seconds back. Mikael Gunnulfsen, Team Koteng Eidissen, completed the podium in the third position, 1.5 seconds behind.

In the women’s race, which started 5 minutes after the men, at 9:00 CET, we had good action already at Samedan 5.2km mark Sprint. Anikken Gjerde Alnes, Team Ragde Charge, crossed first, followed by Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Ida Dahl, Team Ramudden.

The group kept together, and at St. Moritz 14.2km Sprint split, now it was time for Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 Ski Team, to cross first, followed by Anikken Gjerde Alnes, Team Ragde Charge, and Olga Tsareva, Russian Winter Team. 

From there, the real action for the women began. With 38km to go, a group of skiers was starting to take form, with Lina Korsgren and Ida Dahl, from Team Ramudden, Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 Ski Team, and Silje Øyre Slind, Team Koteng Eidissen, with Laila Kveli, Team Engcon, a few seconds back.

Later, with 33km to go, Ida Dahl, Team Rammuden, hit the front and stretched the field, getting a decisive gap and letting Britta Johansson Norgren, Silje Øyre Slind, Lina Korsgren, and Laila Kveli, Team Engcon, in the chasing group.

With 25km to go, the chasing group was established with Johansson Norgren, Øyre Slind, and Korsgren, 25 seconds behind, and the gap still growing.

At the 10km mark, Ida Dahl had a gap of 1 minute and 25 seconds over her rivals, and Britta Johansson Norgren decided to ski on her own, exploding the chasing group and leaving Lina Korsgren and Silje Øyre Slind behind.

Ida Dahl, Team Ramudden, did a great race and reached the finish line impressing 2 minutes 16 seconds ahead of Britta Johansson Norgren, Lager 157 Ski Team. Lina Korsgren, Team Ramudden, managed to get the third podium place, more than 3 minutes behind Dahl. 

Results can be found here.

Next up in the Visma Ski Classics is Marcialonga. The 70-kilometer classic long-distance race takes place in Trentino, Italy, on January 30, 2022.

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