Tour de Ski: Kerttu Niskanen received support from Therese Johaug

Alpe Cermis

Kerttu Niskanen arrived at the finish line of the final stage of the Tour de Ski with good strength considering the situation.

Finland’s number one star stayed Therese Johaugin winning the tour to fourth place. For the one who skied third Jessie Digginsille he bent at 40 seconds.

Dreams of a Tour podium were dashed in Saturday’s combined skiing, where Niskanen finished sixth.

“When you get to fight for the podium places in the Tour, of course you want to be there. However, I have to remember that I have only now managed to rise to this level. I am satisfied that I was able to get on the podium three times.”

Niskanen’s hardest bets came in Toblach, where he was twice third and once second.

“Hunger certainly grows in the audience when they eat, but so do I. I did try, but I’m not particularly disappointed.”

Niskanen’s Tour could have ended in even happier moods if he had had a little better luck in a couple of races in Toblach. Konkari had to climb the skies on Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s stages alone, while Johaug and who reached second on the tour Astrid Öyre Slind received traction from each other and other skiers.

“I was able to exchange ideas with Therese. He also said that it must have taxed my strength when I had to ski alone in Toblach. “

Neck earned 31,000 Swiss francs or about 33,000 euros in prize money from his Tour career.

He heard about the amount during the interview.

“Of course, it’s nice that hard work pays off and you get paid, so to speak.”

If Niskanen had been third in the overall race, the money would have been 16,000 euros more. According to him, such things do not run through his head during the tour.

“You don’t want to spend time and energy on such things. After the job is done, let’s see how much has been achieved. It doesn’t matter if the bet is euros or just crystal. I don’t think anyone skis with the glitter of money in their eyes.”

My neck the early season has followed the pattern familiar from recent years: at the opening of the World Cup in Ruka, it’s still tight, but by mid-December in Davos, things start to go as if at the push of a button.

Niskanen was not worried, even though the mood leveled off a bit in the last three races in Val di Fiemme.

“There was no skiing that felt so good here, and on top of that, there was that rally track..”

On the rally track, Niskanen refers to the winding track of the Lago di Tesero ski stadium, which has received harsh criticism from athletes.

“If there had been clear ups and downs, where the muscles could play”, the result would certainly have been better.

Krista Pärmäkoski stated on Saturday that Fiemme’s tracks are not worthy of the Olympics. On the same tracks, Olympic medals will be discussed next winter.

“When I have talked to non-Finnish skiers, no one has praised the slopes. Let’s see what they will be like in a year,” says Niskanen.