The Ski Federation says that Niskanen has fallen ill. The tour starts on Saturday in Toblach, Italy with free sprints.
10:36•Updated 10:54
Iivo Niskanen is excluded from the Tour de Ski tour, the Ski Association informs. Niskanen will miss out due to illness.
– First I had to cancel Christmas and now the Tour de Ski. See you next year, Niskanen wrote on Instagram.
Niskanen is the sixth best non-Norwegian in the Men’s Skiing World Cup. In the Normal Travel Cup, the Finnish star is fourth.
The World Championships in Trondheim will take place between February and March, so there is still plenty of time for recovery and training.
Earlier on Friday Perttu Hyvärinen also said that he will miss the tour starting on Saturday due to illness.
– Niskanen has to miss the Tour de Ski due to illness. Hyvärinen will miss the Tour de Ski because he feels that his condition and situation after a slight illness after the World Cup in Davos is such that he should not go skiing in the Tour de Ski, reads the announcement of the Ski Association.
Due to absences, Finland has only four male skiers at the Tour: Niko Anttola, Niilo Moilanen, Arsi Ruuskanen and Lauri Vuorinen. Finnish women participate Jasmi Joensuu, Jasmin Kähärä, Johanna Matintalo, Kerttu Niskanen and Krista Pärmäkoski.
The Tour de Ski starts on Saturday in Toblach, Italy with free sprints.