Giacomel loses to his “twin” – Drama about Bø

Tommaso Giacomel delivered an unparalleled feat in the pursuit at the World Cup finals at Holmenkollen in Oslo – but ultimately lost to his "twin." Sturla Holm Lægreid, meanwhile, snatched two crystal globes from under Johannes Thingnes Bø's nose.

March 22, 2025

From: never

It was a sight rarely seen on the cross-country ski trail. Just one day after the Norwegians' five-way victory in the sprint, Tommaso Giacomel and Quentin Fillon Maillet started the pursuit as the two best non-Norwegians. Over the next 12,5 kilometers, the duo were never to be separated; like identical twins, Giacomel and Fillon Maillet plowed through the Oslo snow. At the shooting range, they dropped targets in almost identical rhythm, and on the track, they were glued to each other. In the end, Fillon Maillet (3rd/+23,9 seconds/1st place) prevailed in this special battle for third place. The Frenchman prevailed by 0,2 seconds after a brilliant final sprint, thus denying Giacomel the reward for his feat of strength (4th/24,1/1st place).

At the top, however, two Norwegians once again engaged in a fierce battle. In contrast to Friday's sprint, this time Sturla Holm Lægreid had the edge in his duel with Johannes Thingnes Bø, who will retire after the mass start on Sunday (15.40:2 p.m.) – and in three respects. In addition to the World Cup victory, Lægreid also secured the small crystal globe despite being tied on points, as he had three wins, one more than Bø (15,5nd/+3/XNUMX). Even more significant, however, was his third coup: Thanks to his triumph in the pursuit race, Lægreid also clinched the overall World Cup early.

Lægreid raves after epic fight

"It was a battle I will remember for the rest of my life," said Lægreid in the official winner's interview, reflecting on his duel with Bø, who, despite three penalty loops, finished just 15 seconds behind the flawless winner. "At his best, Johannes is impossible to beat. But today I succeeded; I achieved something incredible." For Lægreid, who has already celebrated an Olympic gold medal and seven World Championship titles, this is the first major crystal globe of his career after three second-place finishes in the overall World Cup. On Sunday, Lægreid could reward himself once again: In the mass start, he leads with 260 points, ahead of Eric Perrot (239) and Fillon Maillet (218).

Sturla Holm Lægreid won the overall World Cup. © ANSA / ANDREA SOLERO

Two South Tyroleans, Lukas Hofer (32nd/+3.33,8/4) and Patrick Braunhofer (40th/+4.01,3/3), also competed, but the duo had to finish further back due to several penalty loops. Italian Daniele Cappellari finished in 50th place (+4.54,0/4).