“The Tour de Ski was the big goal this season, and it will probably be difficult for me to find motivation for the rest of the World Cup,” Claybaugh wrote on Instagram, where he attached a photo of himself with a thermometer.
– It is terrible to end 2023 in such a bad state. It definitely wasn't how I planned for Christmas, continues the cross country star.
– It's too bad not to see him at the ski race. The level he showed in the WC trial was outstanding. Many would have worked hard to beat him in the round. It appears he was playing with rivals, says NRK expert Therese Gohaug.
He was in great shape: Johannes Hosflot Klaebo had won three out of three races in the World Time Trial Championship just before the illness set in.
Photo: Terje Pedersen/NTB
Klæbo and the rest of the cross-country skiers last competed during the World Cup races in Trondheim in mid-December, where Klæbo won three out of three races.
– After coming down with the flu the week after the WC Trial in Trondheim, I had to return home from the hike due to six days of fever, says Klæbo in the press release.
– For a long time, Johannes hoped that he would be able to compete on the Tour, but unfortunately, it came too soon for him, says national team doctor Uwe Veragin.
Henrik Dønnestad comes in as a replacement for Klæbo.
Emil Gokeld dreams of completing the Birkin in under 3:30. When Therese Gohough saw the skiing, she burst out laughing.
Claybaugh says he always tries to take all precautions and isolate himself at this time of year to avoid getting sick.
-This season had a tough start with the coronavirus in October and the flu now. “It's very frustrating,” Claybaugh writes.
Yohog believes it is reasonable for Claybaugh not to go, and that he is prioritizing his health.
– It's about not doing anything stupid regarding the rest of the winter and what's to come in Trondheim next winter. “You can't lose weight with a tired body,” says Gohough.
-I will definitely do the same. With his level of form and number of ski race victories, he is not going there to finish tenth overall. Then it's just a matter of staying home, finding peace and training for the upcoming ski runs.
Thus, the three who finished on the podium in the Tour de Ski last season will be eliminated from the next edition.
There's no one: Simen Hegestad-Krüger (from left), Johannes Hosflot Klaebo and Hans-Christer Holland on the podium at the Tour de Ski less than a year ago.
Photo: Terje Pedersen/NTB
Klaebo won last season, while Simen Heggstad-Krüger and Hans-Christer Hollandd finished second and third respectively.
Krueger reported his absence due to illness earlier Thursday, while Hollande resigned.
The Tour de Ski starts with a sprint in Toblach on December 30 and ends at the “Monster Hill” in Val di Fiemme on January 7.
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