The Tour de Ski is buzzing: Krista Pärmäkoski’s fierce demand, Michal Lamplot responds

Val di Fiemme

Next the winter Olympic tracks in Val di Fiemme have received harsh criticism.

The renewed tracks were tested at the Tour de Ski over the weekend. In Friday’s sprint, many athletes finished the profile, where especially the men’s individual skis turned into a grotesque standoff. It didn’t make any sense to start the last downhill at the head of the group.

In Saturday’s combined skiing, there was a 3.3 kilometer run, which didn’t get many thanks either. The route was criticized for being too easy for the men, and the winding downhills were not to the athletes’ liking either.

One of the critics was Suomen Krista Pärmäkoski.

“It was pretty bad when you skied the climbs hard, but the downhills were plowed with your back straight. I don’t think it’s about the taxes of the Olympics, when all the most skilled men counted the bills with their backs straight. The tracks should be changed,” the skier insisted.

Expert Harri Kirvesniemi was on the same lines as Pärmäkoski.

”Skiathlonin rata on täysin sopimaton arvokisoihin ennen kaikkea miehillä. The ascents are too short for top men and the descents are piling up. The profile of the track is emphasized, especially on the traditional one, where the pees benefit of the downhill sections is greater than the free one,” Kirvesniemi wrote on Saturday in Ilta-Sanomie In skiing.

Kerttu Niskanen coach man Juho Mikkonenwho works at the Tour as a Viaplay expert.

“It looks stupid to stop skiing on top of the hill and plow,” he said on Viaplay’s broadcast.

“That kind of track simply doesn’t work in value races. If I were to say basically everything here now, what I think about that track, you would give it as if a red card for me, and I wouldn’t make it to Alpe Cermis tomorrow,” continued Mikkonen Will Klingan in the interview.

In Saturday’s skiathlon, we did not get to use the second part of the race track network, the so-called traditional side, which has a tougher profile. In next winter’s Olympic Games, the traditional competitions are to be skied on this side, free on the rally track seen on Saturday.

International Michal Lamplot

“First of all, in the skiathlon, the original plan was already to use a 3.3-kilometer Lenk on the free course and another 3.3-kilometer Lenk on the traditional one. As is the plan for next winter’s Olympics as well,” said Lamplot.

”Mutta koska maanomistajien kanssa oli kiistaa, jouduimme poikkeuksellisesti käyttämään samaa lenkkiä molemmilla hiihtotavoilla. But next year this shouldn’t be such a problem. I still think it was a very good race. Not many crashes.”

However, according to the Czech boss, minor changes to the tracks are possible before next winter’s Olympics. According to Lamplot, there are some kind of changes planned, especially for the sprint track.

”Sanoisin, että eri urheilijoilla on erilaisia mielipiteitä Val di Fiemmen laduista. Some like it, some don’t. But at the same time, of course, we have noted the goal of a long downhill section. Se on Fiemmen ominaispiirre.”

“We’re going to try to make some adjustments for the Olympics so that the skiers are rewarded for their hard work uphill. Gives an opportunity to run away, so that there is no waiting on the hill”, continued Lamplot regarding the sprint track that caused a stir on Friday.

The Olympics are scheduled for next winter, in February 2026. Even before then, Val di Fiemme plans to compete in the Tour de Ski next year.

“The plan is that next year’s Tour will have four stages in Toblach and two in Val di Fiemme, the final climb and one other race,” said Lamplot.