Tour de Ski — Diggins extends overall lead with solo win

The US-American Jessie Diggins extended her Tour de Ski overall lead after the fourth race in Toblach. The 34-year-old celebrated her 30th World Cup victory — and moved closer to a third Tour de Ski overall win — by skiing a convincing solo race in the 15 km pursuit. Sweden’s Moa Ilar finished second and Austria’s Teresa Stadlober third; Germany’s Pia Fink was best German in 12th.

Diggins had come into the race with a 50-second lead in the overall standings. With overall second Astrid Øyre Slind (NOR) not starting, Moa Ilar was the closest chaser with a one-minute deficit.

But there was no real chase — Diggins steadily increased her advantage as she skied alone at the front while the rest of the field reorganised behind her. Teresa Stadlober emerged as a top chaser.

In the German squad Pia Fink showed strong long-distance form. Coletta Rydzek — who had already effectively lost a shot at a high Tour ranking after the controversial heat mass start — lost contact with the leaders and slipped back, while Helen Hoffmann and Katharine Sauerbrey gained places.

No one could threaten Diggins’ win. “I tried to do my best,” Diggins said; she has announced she will step away from the World Cup circuit after the season. Ilar took second in the final sprint, 1:35.2 behind Diggins, with Stadlober a fraction further back (+1:35.5). Fink crossed the line 12th; Sauerbrey 20th, Hoffmann 21st and Rydzek finished 42nd, just ahead of Sofie Krehl.

Rydzek said she aimed to conserve energy for the sprint in Val di Fiemme and will recover before that race. National coach Peter Schlickenrieder was overall satisfied with his team, praising Fink’s move from 18th to 12th.

After a rest day the Tour de Ski continues on the Olympic tracks in Val di Fiemme with a sprint on Saturday and the final mass-start/Alpe Cermis climb on Sunday.

The German Tour squad has shrunk further: on New Year’s Eve Olympic champion Katharina Hennig Dotzler withdrew with a minor ailment. Anian Sossau-Daubermann and Theresa Fürstenberg also did not start on Thursday as they focus on other goals — Sossau-Daubermann on sprinting at the Oberhof World Cup and the Olympics, Fürstenberg on the Continental Cup overall ranking.