“This is the weekend when you probably wanted to ski the fastest. It’s on home turf, and this weekend and the Tour de Ski are the two most important events this year, so it’s fun to deliver,” says Johannes Høsflot Klæbo to Langrenn.com after Sunday’s victory.

But leading up to the World Cup round in Trondheim just over a year before the World Championships at home in 2025, the world’s best traditional cross-country skier on paper was searching for answers.

“It’s positive. I am very satisfied with the weekend, and it’s good to feel that my body is functioning well again, especially in the distance races. I feel like I’m back to where I was this fall and have received some good answers on that front. It’s a relief,” Klæbo says to Langrenn.com after winning the 10-kilometer classic race in Granåsen.

After Sunday’s victory, which was the third in three days, he has also taken over the overall lead in the World Cup. But for the 27-year-old, who was training outside the national team this year, it was not a given that the World Cup round in Granåsen would be a success.

Covid creates uncertainty

Klæbo also reveals that he was very curious about how much the Covid illness he contracted during his high-altitude training in Livigno just before the season started at Beitostølen would affect him.

Tiril Udnes Weng, who fell ill at the same place and time, is still not back in regular training and has not participated in a single ski race this season. Others who contracted Covid during the preparation period have also struggled to varying degrees. Klæbo himself had not been in top form until very recently.

How much do you think Covid set you back?

“I feel like it set me back three weeks, maybe more. You’re sick for the seven days, and then it takes another seven days to get back to regular training. And then you have to start competing again. It takes time,” says Klæbo.

Klæbo is clear that he doesn’t take Covid lightly, even though the illness felt mostly like a common cold to him.

“You can see examples of it now with, among others, Frida Karlsson who didn’t start today (Sunday), and Tiril (Udnes Weng). Tiril and I got it at the same time, and there have been two different outcomes. That’s the frustrating thing about Covid, it affects people differently,” he says.

“Brutal to feel like crap”

For Klæbo, the worst symptoms of the illness lasted for four to five days, during which he felt very congested and unwell. But he was still very conservative with his training.

“For my part, I’m very glad I took it easy during that period. Even though it was brutal to stand at the start of the season opener in Ruka and feel like crap. It’s frustrating to stand at the start line knowing you’re going to struggle, but I’m glad I went and got three good runs. Then it got progressively better weekend after weekend. It was the right approach for me.”

Laying the groundwork for the Tour de Ski

Now, Johannes Høsflot Klæbo is one of 19 Norwegian athletes selected for the Tour de Ski. He is the defending champion and is determined to win again this year.

He will use the time leading up to the Tour de Ski to ensure the best possible preparation.

“These are ten crucial days ahead, and I will have a good training period. You can’t afford to have a bad day in the Tour de Ski this year if you want to compete for the overall victory. You just have to have good days,” says Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, adding:

“You can’t afford to be eliminated in a quarterfinal, and you can’t afford to lose by half a minute in one of the long-distance races. Then you’re done.”

Read also: Norwegian team for Tour de Ski 2023/2024