Tour de Ski: Johannes Høsflot Klæbo wins historic fifth title

Johannes Høsflot Klæbo made history by winning the Tour de Ski overall title for the fifth time, a feat no one has achieved before. But the dramatic final stage in Val di Fiemme — the feared “Monsterbakken” climb — was stolen by Mattis Stenshagen, who produced a sensational performance to win the uphill stage.

"It's insane, what Mattis Stenshagen shows time after time," NRK cross‑country expert Fredrik Aukland said after Stenshagen's victory on the closing climb. Stenshagen himself was almost speechless in his FIS interview: "I don't know what happened. I just went full gas, my form was so good today. I can't believe it, it's a miracle," he said.

Several rivals, including Harald Østberg Amundsen, expressed their astonishment at Stenshagen's power. "I was shocked by Stenshagen's delivery up that hill, it was enormous," Amundsen told NRK. Only French climber Jules Lapierre could initially hang with Stenshagen, but Stenshagen held on and took his second stage win of this Tour — he finished second overall and also won the climber's jersey.

Emil Iversen also impressed, taking third on the climb and finishing third overall. Iversen and Stenshagen have both signalled that their Tour performances strengthen their cases for Olympic selection; Stenshagen said there have been positive hints from the national team and hoped he could avoid a last‑minute qualification race at the Norwegian nationals.

Klæbo praised his Norwegian teammates and opponents. "I hadn't expected this today," Klæbo told Viaplay about Stenshagen's stage. "Klæbo became historic by winning the tour for a fifth time," the report noted. Tour de Ski final overall top ten (men): 1) Johannes Høsflot Klæbo 1:56:12.4; 2) Mattis Stenshagen +30.1; 3) Harald Østberg Amundsen +1:08.2; 4) Federico Pellegrino +1:27.6; 5) Emil Iversen +1:30.5; 6) Lars Heggen +2:10.6; 7) Gus Schumacher +2:17.0; 8) Savelij Korostelev +2:28.5; 9) Elia Barp +2:34.8; 10) Benjamin Moser +2:44.9.

Stenshagen described the feeling in the finish as an almost unique sense of mastery: "I thought, now Stenshagen, now you have to go for your life." NRK's commentary and Norway's team staff reacted strongly to the performance, and the debate about Olympic selections intensified after the Tour.