Everything is ready for the 20km mass start race at the Lahti World Cup in Finland. Here is the preview, start list, and start time for the men’s 20km mass start race in classic technique.

Lahti World Cup – Men’s 20km Mass Start Classic – Preview

The men’s 20km classic style race is set to take place in Lahti on Sunday, March 26, and there are many top contenders to watch out for. Here is a breakdown of each athlete’s chances and previous achievements:

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo

Klæbo has been on fire this season, winning eight of the 16 distance events in the World Cup. If he manages to win the sprint and 20km classic style events in Lahti, he will equal the record for most individual World Cup wins by any cross-country skier in a single season. Klæbo is currently trailing Pål Golberg in the distance World Cup standings, but only Martin Johnsrud Sundby and Alexander Bolshunov have won

more distance World Cup events in a single season than Klæbo in 2022/23. Having already secured the overall and sprint crystal globes, Klæbo has become the first man to win nine individual crystal globes.

Pål Golberg

Golberg is having his best season yet and can win the distance World Cup this year, claiming his first crystal globe. His only previous podium finishes in World Cup standings were third in the overall and sprint standings in 2019/20. Golberg has already won more individual distance World Cup events this season than in all of his previous seasons combined. Four of his five individual distance World Cup wins were in classic style events, including the 20km classic style event in Lillehammer this season (December).

Other Contenders

Iivo Niskanen is the last non-Norwegian to have won a men’s distance event in the World Cup. Niskanen won all of his eight distance World Cup events in classic style events, including two in Lahti. Only Vladimir Smirnov and Bjørn Dæhlie have won more individual distance World Cup events in Lahti than Niskanen. Simen Hegstad Krüger has claimed more podium finishes in distance events in 2019/20 than in 2022/23, but

he has yet to finish on the podium of a World Cup distance event in Finland.

Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget hopes to win his second individual World Cup event after the 50km classic style in Oslo in March 2022.

In conclusion, the men’s 20km classic style race in Lahti promises to be an exciting and highly competitive event, with several top athletes vying for the top spot. The race will be closely watched by fans and sports enthusiasts all over the world, and it will be interesting to see which athlete comes out on top.

Sunday, March 26: 20km Mass Start C (Find more details here)

• 11:00 CET: 20km Mass Start C, Women
• 12:45 CET: 20km Mass Start C, Men 

START LIST MEN

See below the complete program with facts, start lists, and results for the World Cup in Lahti.

FACTS Lahti World Cup Season 2022/2023

• When: Friday, March 24, to Sunday, March 26
• Who: Elite national skiers
• Where: Lahti, Finland
• What: FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Lahti, Finland

PROGRAM

Friday, March 24: Team Sprint F (Find more details here)

• 14:20 CET: Team Sprint F, Women
• 14:40 CET: Team Sprint F, Men
• 15:50 CET: Team Sprint Final, Men
• 15:50 CET: Team Sprint Final, Women 

Saturday, March 25: Sprint C (Find more details here)

• 10:30 CET: Sprint Quali C, Men
• 10:30 CET: Sprint Quali C, Women 
• 13:00 CET: Sprint Final C, Men
• 13:00 CET: Sprint Final C, Women

Sunday, March 26: 20km Mass Start C (Find more details here)

• 11:00 CET: 20km Mass Start C, Women
• 12:45 CET: 20km Mass Start C, Men 

New this season was the exact race distances for women and men in all World Cup events, as the International Ski & Snowboard Federation (FIS) decided in May. Several other changes have also been introduced to the World Cup.

Read More: Cross-Country Skiing Changes And World Cup Calendar For The 2022/2023 Season

Also Read: New Distances At The Cross-Country Skiing World Cup