Favorites for Tour de Ski 2023/2024
Tour de Ski Season 2023/2024 starts today, and Norway, on paper, had a clear favorite stamp for the overall victory in the men’s class.
However, two days before the start, the big favorite and title defender Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and Simen Hegstad Krüger announced their withdrawal due to illness. In addition, Hans Christer Holund has retired. Thus, the entire overall podium from the 2023 Tour de Ski is missing from this year’s edition. And still, Norway is the favorite for the victory.
See Tour de Ski facts, program, and details at the bottom of the article.
MEN: Favorites
Without Klæbo and Krüger, Harald Østberg Amundsen becomes an even hotter candidate for the overall victory. Last year, he missed the Tour de Ski due to a persistent bout of Covid he contracted just before the season premiere at Beitostølen.
But his Tour debut with ninth place overall last season was promising, and with this winter’s upswings in both classic and sprint, Østberg Amundsen believes he has a real chance to take the overall victory.
“Tour de Ski is super important in my mind. It’s a concept that I think is extremely cool, and the program set up this year I think suits my abilities very well. The first time I participated in the Tour de Ski I was ninth overall, but that was two years ago, and I have developed a lot since then,” says Østberg Amundsen, who is currently second in the World Cup overall.
“To contend in the Tour de Ski, you need to master everything from sprint to distance and all race formats. I also succeeded quite well with a good number of sprints in the World Cup this winter, and I am hitting the mark much better in classic as well. It will be important if you want to compete with Pål Golberg and the biggest favorites, but I believe I can do it, and that really triggers me”, he says to Langrenn.com.
And indeed, Pål Golberg is another big favorite for the overall victory, especially with Klæbo and Krüger on the sidelines. He, too, masters all competition formats from sprint to distance and is equally good in classic as in skating.
Norwegian Favorites
- Harald Østberg Amundsen
- Pål Golberg
Outsiders
From Sweden, Calle Halfvarsson becomes an exciting challenger, especially if he has managed to recover after the Covid illness he contracted just before Christmas. On Wednesday, however, the veteran reported that he was healthy and ready to start. Last year, the 34-year-old finished sixth, just behind Golberg. Halfvarsson is now fifth in the World Cup overall.
Furthermore, Federico Pellegrino could also be a dangerous challenger for the overall podium. The Italian veteran ended up in the bitter fourth place in the Tour de Ski overall last year and is the highest-ranked of those starting this year.
In addition, it seems that the Italian waxing team has cracked the code with fluor-free. This was shown in Trondheim, where the waxing teams for the first time were tested under wet conditions after the fluor ban came into effect.
Also Read – Tour de Ski: All the winners from previous editions
Outsiders
- Calle Halfvarsson, Sweden
- Federico Pellegrino, Italy
Wild Cards
Also, Halfvarsson’s teammate William Poromaa can claim a high spot in the overall. The 22-year-old had to drop out of the Tour de Ski last year, but he is a strong all-rounder who delivers on both shorter and longer distances.
Wild Cards
- William Poromaa, Sweden
In the individual stages, several skiers are capable of challenging the Norwegians. In sprint, it is especially Klæbo’s French rival Lucas Chanavat, but also the American Ben Ogden, as well as Swedish Edvin Anger.
In the distance races, British Andrew Musgrave is the foreigner who, on paper, has the biggest opportunities.
WOMEN: Favorites
In the women’s class, Jessie Diggins from the USA is a dominant favorite for the overall victory. She leads the World Cup overall after the first period, masters all competition formats from sprint to distance and is equally good in classic as in skating.
Diggins’ teammate Rosie Brennan is in third place in the World Cup overall and she too masters all competition formats from sprint to distance in both classic and skating.
Of the Norwegians, it is Lotta Udnes Weng and Heidi Weng who are best placed in the World Cup overall before the Tour de Ski, respectively in ninth and 11th place.
Udnes Weng has so far struggled to hit the mark this season, while Weng has delivered several podium places and solid performances. Both are candidates for the overall podium in the Tour de Ski, but it’s probably a bit far to the victory. The double-committing Pro Team athlete Astrid Øyre Slind should also not be written off in the overall calculation, but for her too, the overall victory is probably a bit far-fetched.
Favorites
- Jessie Diggins, USA
- Rosie Brennan, USA
Outsiders
German Victoria Carl finished the first period of the World Cup with victory in the 10-kilometer classic at the Trondheim World Cup. It was the 28-year-old’s first World Cup victory, but Carl has several podium finishes, as well as Olympic and World Championships medals in her collection.
Title defender Frida Karlsson has struggled with form after contracting Covid at the start of the season. But last year’s overall winner is starting, and the Swede has a unique ability to push herself to the limit when it matters.
Also Read: Klæbo will miss Tour de Ski 2023/2024
Outsiders
- Victoria Carl, Germany
- Frida Karlsson, Sweden
Furthermore, Emma Ribom and Ebba Andersson, who are second and fourth in the World Cup overall respectively after the first period, and Andersson who leads the distance cup, are also strong contenders for the overall victory in the Tour de Ski. However, Andersson has contracted Covid over Christmas, so it will be exciting to see if it will affect her in the Tour.
Wild Cards
- Ebba Andersson, Sweden
- Emma Ribom, Sweden
In the individual stages, several can assert themselves. In the World Cup overall, there are now athletes from four to five nations among the top ten. But French Delphine Claudel, who took her first World Cup victory in the monster hill last year and lives for the brutal final stage in the Tour de Ski, is among the candidates for stage victories.
Finnish Kerttu Niskanen should never be written off in distance races, especially in classic. Krista Pärmäkoski has so far not shown her potential in the World Cup this year, but the Finnish veteran has the Tour de Ski and especially the monster hill as one of her main goals for this season. In the sprint, Swiss Nadine Fähndrich is a clear candidate for victory, especially in the fourth stage: freestyle sprint at her home in Davos.
FACTS Tour de Ski Season 2023/2024
- When: Saturday, December 30, 2023, to Sunday, January 7, 2024
- Who: Elite national skiers – women and men
- Where: Toblach/ITA, Davos/SUI, and Val di Fiemme/ITA
- What: FIS Tour de Ski
PROGRAM
Saturday, December 30, 2023 – Toblach/ITA: Sprint Freestyle (More details can be found here)
- 12:00 CET: Sprint Quali F, Women
- 12:38 CET: Sprint Quali F, Men
- 14:30 CET: Sprint Final F, Men
- 14:30 CET: Sprint Final F, Women
Sunday, December 31, 2023 – Toblach/ITA: 10km Interval Start Classics (More details can be found here)
- 12:15 CET: 10km Interval Start C, Women
- 15:00 CET: 10km Interval Start C, Men
Monday, January 1, 2024 – Toblach/ITA: 25km Pursuit Freestyle (More details can be found here)
- 10:00 CET: 25km Pursuit F, Men
- 12:30 CET: 25km Pursuit F, Women
Wednesday, January 3, 2024 – Davos/SUI: Sprint Freestyle (More details can be found here)
- 14:30 CET: Sprint Quali F, Men
- 14:30 CET: Sprint Quali F, Women
- 17:00 CET: Sprint Final F, Men
- 17:00 CET: Sprint Final F, Women
Thursday, January 4, 2024 – Davos/SUI: Pursuit Classic (More details can be found here)
- 10:45 CET: Pursuit C, Women
- 13:00 CET: Pursuit C, Men
Saturday, January 6, 2024 – Val Di Fiemme/ITA: 15km Mass Start Classic (More details can be found here)
- 11:30 CET: 15km Mass Start C, Women
- 15:25 CET: 15km Mass Start C, Men
Sunday, January 7, 2024 – Val Di Fiemme/ITA: 10km Mass Start Freestyle – Final Climb (More details can be found here)
- 14:30 CET: 10km Mass Start F, Men
- 15:45 CET: 10km Mass Start F, Women
Read More: World Cup calendar for the 2023/2024 Winter Season
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