Lapponia Ski Week continued with the demanding 50-kilometer Himmelriikki stage.

Miro Karppanen secured his second straight victory to maintain a narrow overall lead. In the women’s race, Sini Alusniemi remained dominant with another win, building a strong advantage ahead of Friday’s decisive 80-kilometer Karra Huikonen.

Lapponia Ski Week continued on Wednesday with the second stage, the 50-kilometer Himmelriikki ski race, offering another demanding test in the fell terrain around Muonio. After Tuesday’s opening stage, the focus shifted more clearly toward the overall standings, as cumulative times after two races now begin to define the battle for victory in this three-day stage race. Friday’s final stage, the 80-kilometer Karra Huikonen, will ultimately decide the overall winners.

Read also: Lapponia Ski Week kicked off in Olos with a high-level opening stage

Karppanen remains in front after two races

In the men’s race, Miro Karppanen once again proved the strongest skier of the day. After winning the opening stage, he followed it up with another victory in the 50-kilometer Himmelriikki stage and strengthened his position at the top of the overall standings. Remi Lindholm stayed close throughout the stage, while Tino Tiilikainen secured third place.

1. Miro Karppanen 2:00:26.7
2. Remi Lindholm +2.0
3. Tino Tiilikainen +11.7

After two races, Karppanen leads the overall standings with a combined time of 4:30:02.0. Lindholm remains just 2.7 seconds behind, keeping the fight for victory extremely tight heading into the final stage. Tiilikainen has moved into third overall at +2:09.7, while Arttu Heikkinen sits fourth at +3:07.1. With 80 kilometers still to race, the podium positions remain far from decided.

Alusniemi strengthens her position in the women’s race

In the women’s competition, Sini Alusniemi continued her dominant form by claiming her second consecutive stage victory. As on the opening day, Jenny Vuori finished second, while Anita Korva took third place. Korva did not race on Tuesday.

1. Sini Alusniemi 2:15:45.7
2. Jenny Vuori +4:44.8
3. Anita Korva +5:22.8

The overall standings after two stages now show a clearer picture. Alusniemi leads with a combined time of 5:12:46.3, while Vuori holds second place at +11:18.2. Eevi Karppinen remains third overall at +27:29.6. Behind the top two, the battle for the remaining podium positions is still open ahead of the final day.

Final showdown awaits on Friday

With two stages completed, Lapponia Ski Week now heads toward its decisive finale. Friday’s Karra Huikonen, raced over 80 kilometers, is traditionally the toughest stage of the event and the one that ultimately determines the overall winners.

After two days of racing, the men’s competition remains extremely tight at the top, while Alusniemi carries a more comfortable lead in the women’s race. However, with such a long and demanding final stage ahead, the outcome is still wide open, and the decisive moments of the week are yet to come.

Check today’s results and the overall standings here.