Two outsiders steal the show in Toblach

The men's final should be the big highlight in the Dobbiaco cross-country skiing center on Saturday. And so it was. However, it wasn't Italy's sprint start Federico Pellegrino who made the big show, but a 24-year-old nobody from Norway. Sindre Bjørnestad Skar shocked the competition with an irresistible final sprint and snatched the victory away from the favorites. He held his own in the photo finish with a lead of just three hundredths over the American Simeon Hamilton. For the Scandinavian, this is the first victory ever in his young World Cup career.

Completing the podium was Skar's Norwegian compatriot Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who pushed Pellegrino to an ungrateful fourth place. “After my win here last season, I really wanted to do a double. Unfortunately I didn't succeed. Tomorrow I will attack again in the team sprint with Didi Nöckler,” said Pellegrino after the race. The Swiss Jovian Hediger and the Norwegian qualification winner Håvard Solås Taugbøl took fifth and sixth place in the final.

Tour de Ski winner Sergey Ustiugov was no longer there in the knockout phase. He failed in the qualification just like the three South Tyrolean cross-country skiers who started in Toblach. Dietmar Nöckler from Bruneck narrowly missed qualifying for the final round in 36th place, but was still satisfied: “I put in a decent performance. Now I want to go one step further in the team sprint.” Further back in the ranking were the debutants Stefan Zelger (50th) from Bolzano and Michael Hellweger (62nd) from Sarner.

Natalia Matveeva surprises everyone

The women's final, which Natalia Matveeva surprisingly won, was also very exciting. The Russian held her own in the final meters against Sprint World Cup leader Maike Caspersen Falla, who was in the lead until shortly before the end. The Norwegian crossed the finish line eight hundredths behind. For Matveeva, a ten-year dry spell is coming to an end. Her only World Cup victory to date dates back to 2007, when she asserted herself in the sprint in Düsseldorf. The 30-year-old Muscovite's celebration at the finish knew no bounds: “I had to wait a long time for this victory. Today the math finally worked out for me. I am overjoyed and would like to say a special thank you to my trainers. They played a big part in this success.” Third place behind Matveeva and Falla was taken by the Swede Hanna Falk, who left behind the German Sandra Ringwald, her teammate Ida Ingemarsdotter and Vesna Fabjan from Slovenia.

The best Italian was Ilaria Debertolis, who finished 20th after her quarter-final exit.

On Sunday the program continues in the Nordic Arena with the team sprints. The qualifying competitions start at 13 p.m. before the final decisions take place at 15 p.m.

Results Cross-Country Skiing World Cup in Toblach (ITA):

Final sprint, men 1. Sindre Bjørnestad Skar (NOR) 2:48,16 minutes 2. Simeon Hamilton (USA) +0,03 seconds 3. Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (NOR) +0,66 4. Federico Pellegrino (ITA) +1,27 5. Jovian Hediger (SUI) +1,84 6. Håvard Solås Taugbøl (NOR) +3,77

Final sprint, women 1. Natalia Matveeva (RUS) 3:04:13 minutes 2. Maiken Caspersen Falla (NOR) +0,08 seconds 3. Hanna Falk (SWE) +2,41 4. Sandra Ringwald (GER) +3,46 5. Ida Ingemarsdotter (SWE) +5,88 6. Vesna Fabjan (SLO) +19,39

You can find the complete results in the PDF attachment!

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Two outsiders steal the show in Toblach

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