Cross Country Skiing
Niilo Moilanen shines in new race format — “I give myself a clean sheet”
December 31, 2025 / Yle
Niilo Moilanen produced the best Finnish result on stage 3 of the Tour de Skin in Toblach, finishing 7th in a new 5 km heat mass-start format won by Gus Schumacher. Iivo Niskanen also featured (10th in his heat, 22nd overall); Moilanen said the race suited sprinters and that his body has been responding well.
Simen Hegstad Krüger criticises new Tour de Ski format: "Ridiculous"
December 31, 2025 / NRK
On the third stage of the Tour de Ski in Toblach, athletes reacted strongly to a newly tested 5 km four-heat format that produced a surprise winner and mixed national podiums. Several top skiers including Simen Hegstad Krüger and Erik Valnes called the format unfair and likened it to a show event, while others and some commentators said it produced excitement and broader competition.
Kerttu Niskanen unimpressed by new race format: “Wish we could have the old days back” — Yle followed Tour de Ski stage
December 31, 2025 / Yle
Yle reports from Day 3 of the Tour de Ski in Toblach where Jessie Diggins won the women’s 5 km freestyle heat-start race and Gus Schumacher won the men’s equivalent. Finnish veterans Kerttu Niskanen and Krista Pärmäkoski tried the new heat-format for the first time and voiced nostalgia for the old multi-stage Tour de Ski format. The article also summarizes ski jumping qualifiers in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and overall Tour standings after three stages.
Shortest Tour de Ski ever — Johannes Høsflot Klæbo dislikes the trend
December 31, 2025 / NRK
Johannes Høsflot Klæbo and other top cross‑country skiers criticize this season’s greatly shortened Tour de Ski, saying stages have become too short and less challenging. Organisers cite sustainability, equality and the upcoming Milano‑Cortina Olympics as reasons for the reduced distance and travel, but athletes and experts urge FIS to restore a tougher, more prestigious tour format.
Jessie Diggins dominates the heat mass-start at the Tour de Ski and extends her overall lead
December 31, 2025 / L'Équipe
At the Toblach stage of the Tour de Ski Jessie Diggins won the new heat mass-start format convincingly, claiming her second victory of the season and increasing her lead in the Tour standings. American teammate Gus Schumacher had earlier won the men’s heat mass-start; Léonie Perry was the top French finisher in fourth.
Diggins dominates Toblach 5km to take control of Tour de Ski
December 31, 2025 / FIS (fis-ski.com)
Jessie Diggins (USA) won the women’s 5km Heat Mass Start Free in Toblach to take charge of the shortened 2025–26 Tour de Ski, adding to an already strong mid‑Tour sequence. The race — a new 5km format with a punchy climb — saw Diggins pull away on the final ascent to claim her 27th World Cup victory, with Emma Ribom and Moa Ilar rounding out the podium.
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Lars Heggen back on the podium in Tour de Ski — new format draws strong criticism: “Silly”
December 31, 2025 / Eurosport
The article reports that 20-year-old Norwegian Lars Heggen finished third in the innovative group-heat 5 km free stage at the Tour de Ski in Toblach, his second podium of the event. The new heat-based format — four separate heats with final rankings decided by time — has drawn criticism from athletes (including Simen Hegstad Krüger and Jules Chappaz) who call it unfair, while some commentators and FIS defend it as adding international diversity to results.
Schumacher handles the heat to win new 5km race
December 31, 2025 / FIS
Gus Schumacher won the new 5km Freestyle Mass Start at the Toblach stage of the 2025/26 Tour de Ski, prevailing in a time-trial style race run as four heats. Young Norwegian Lars Heggen and Austria's Benjamin Moser joined Schumacher on the podium, while Johannes Høsflot Klæbo—despite pre-race nerves—finished well down the timesheets and retained his overall Tour lead.
Mogren on the new format: "Unfair — but exciting"
December 31, 2025 / Sveriges Radio (Radiosporten)
Radiosporten reports that Tour de Ski introduces a new third-stage format: a 5 km freestyle where athletes are split into four heats and each skier's finish time counts toward the overall standings. Swedish expert Torgny Mogren calls the change risky and "unfair", but admits it also adds excitement to the competition.
Heidi Weng thinks of Ebba Andersson and Frida Karlsson when she hears the word ‘fiasco’
December 31, 2025 / SVT Sport
Norwegian veteran Heidi Weng, 34, says she refuses to accept the label “fiasco” after a difficult start to the Tour de Ski. She points to Swedish skiers Ebba Andersson and Frida Karlsson as examples of athletes who can recover — noting they performed poorly earlier but peaked at world championships — and will start tomorrow’s 20 km classical pursuit close behind them.
Frida Karlsson explains the bloody images
December 31, 2025 / SVT Sport
During a rest day in the Tour de Ski Frida Karlsson injured herself during an evening training session and posted bloody images on social media. In an interview with SVT Sport she downplays the wound, and also reflects on a disappointing 52nd place in the new 5 km mass-start heats format.
Iivo Niskanen proposes change to Tour de Ski after new ‘heat’ format sparks criticism
December 30, 2025 / Yle
Yle reports on a new, experimental race format used in the Tour de Ski where 5 km races are run as timed heats (multiple mass-start heats with results by time). Finnish skiers including Iivo Niskanen, Lauri Vuorinen, Joni Mäki and Martin Löwström Nyenget comment; Niskanen calls the format artificial and suggests trying the Alpe Cermis climb in classic technique. The story includes the Toblach/Val di Fiemme schedule and TV info.