Federico Pellegrino ends the year off the podium
Federico Pellegrino fourth
Johannes Klaebo also won the men’s classic technique sprint in Lahti, collecting victory number 19 in the season. The dominator of the World Cup season confidently controlled an almost entirely Norwegian final, with only Calle Halfvarsson to give Sweden second place, ahead of fellow Norwegians Erik Valnes, Even Northug, Harald Amudsen and Sindre Skar.
Federico Pellegrino, on the eve of the race fourth just two points off the final specialty podium, went out in the quarterfinal battery after trying to make his way through Klaebo, Cerny and Golberg (himself out). In the semifinals, Simone Mocellini, who was good in the first round to emerge unscathed from the jam that saw the hosts Anone and Moilanen fall, tried to hold his own against the Norwegian quartet led by Valnes and Northug, but his fifth-place finish saw his chance of repechage vanish by only three hundredths, a goal later thwarted by the disqualification that accrued for one too many skates that led to the second yellow card.
In the sprint rankings, Klaebo had already secured first place ahead of Lucas Chavanat, with Even Northug succeeding in the multiple overtake for third place, overtaking Jouve, Anger and Pellegrino himself, who eventually finished fourth.
The women’s sprint triumph went to Skistad who secured her fifth career race, second Jonna Sundling and third place for Tirill Weng who not only replicated her position in the sprint standings but consolidated first place in the overall standings. 1983 points, 154 points ahead of Jessie Diggins, arithmetically winning the World Cup.
Fourth place for Maja Dahlqvist, enough to complete overtaking Nadine Faehndrich. Second consecutive Sprint World Cup won by the 28-year-old Swede, who managed to mock the Swiss after risking elimination in the quarters, favored by a teammate who passed her near the finish line.
Italians all out in qualifying: Caterina Ganz 32nd, Nicole Monsorno 33rd, Cristina Pittin 38th and Federica Sanfilippo 56th. Sunday will be the last race of the year with the two 20-kilometer classic technique races: women at 11 a.m., men at 12:45 p.m.
