Madshus cross-country skier Heidi Weng (NOR) has been on the podium in every stage of the 2015 Tour de Ski, landing her in a solid second place overall with only two stages to go.
Stage by stage, Weng has been putting more time between her and the competitors, and with only two stages to go, she has almost a full minute to spare down to third place for the overall Tour de Ski.
And Weng just can’t stop smiling. Weng feels like she’s taken some giant steps this season, particularly in skate and sprints.
“I just don’t understand what’s going on. I beat Ingvild (Østberg), who’s a sprint specialist. It’s very rare for me to beat Ingvild in a sprint finish,” Weng says eagerly, leaving no doubt that she’s excited for the rest of the Tour.
“I’m just enjoying myself out there, and it’s just a dream come true. I don’t understand what’s happening, it’s all just so fun. I’m a bit slow off the start, but I build a lot of steam toward the end. I was really ready to do another lap,” Weng said with a grin after stage 4, the 5k classic in Toblach on Wednesday.
In the 15k pursuit on Thursday, she picked up where she left on Wednesday. Weng pulled into another impressive second place, her fifth consecutive podium finish in the Tour, but admitted the rest day on Friday is a welcome break before the final two stages.
“I felt stiff in the first lap and I was little bit slower. Then I got better with my technique, and I gained some seconds on Therese. I need to rest a lot before the final stages in Val di Fiemme,” Weng said after the 15km skate pursuit in Toblach, Italy, on Thursday.
2015 Tour de Ski Overall Standing Ladies
1. Marit Bjoergen, Norway, 1:28:25.6
2. Heidi Weng, Norway, +2:03.8
3. Therese Johaug, Norway, +3:01.4
2015 Tour de Ski Sprint Standing Ladies
1. Marit Bjoergen, Norway, 2:00
2. Heidi Weng, Norway, 1:31
3. Therese Johaug, Norway, 0:37
Additionally, Weng is also in third place in the overall 2015 FIS World Cup and in the 2015 FIS Distance World Cup.