Tour de Ski, Federico Pellegrino sees podium finish
Federico Pellegrino, results
Harald Østberg Amundsen dominated the third stage of the 18th edition of the Tour de Ski, the 22-kilometer distance free-technique pursuit that inaugurated 2024 on narrow skis in Toblach (Bolzano).
The 25-year-old Norwegian, after sharing the first three of the five laps of the Puster Valley course with compatriot Erik Valnes, took the lead in the fourth lap to present himself alone at the finish line after 52’38″0 with a margin of 32″9 over his teammate. The same gap also separates them in the new overall standings.
Behind them Jan Thomas Jenssen, author of the best time in the chase, completed the all-Viking podium with a delay of 1’04″6, overtaking in the bunch sprint Sweden’s Wiliam Poromaa, the’other Norwegian Martin Nyenget and Germany’s Friedrich Moch.
A generous Federico Pellegrino was part of the chasing group for the entire race, losing contact slightly only on the main climb of the final lap, and then mending the gap without, however, having a chance to fight in the sprint for third place: ninth place at 1’08″8 for the champion from Nus, who will appear in the Davos sprint with a chance to get even closer to the Tour de Ski podium. “I ran a smart race – said Pellegrino at the end -I preferred not to respond to the sprints of those leading my small group but to go regular, and in the end I managed to come back without losing time. I travel a bit’ without reference points in these first few days of racing because’ I did not fully know my condition and every stage I discover something new, now we think about recovering our strength in view of Wednesday’ sprint in Davos”.
As for the other Azzurri, Elia Barp completed the race in 35th position at 3’50″8 heeled by Cuneo’s Martino Carollo (36th at 3’53″7), who climbed up several positions to match Paolo Ventura (39th at 3’57″3, 30th time of the day for the Fiemmese); over 50th instead were Giandomenico Salvadori (52nd), Simone Daprà (53rd) and Dietmar Nöckler (68th).
Francesco De Fabiani, Davide Graz, Michael Hellweger did not start.
The Tour de Ski caravan will now face the first transfer to reach Davos the site of the next two stages: on Wednesday, Jan. 3, a sprint in free technique is scheduled, followed the next day by a pursuit in classic technique.
