According to Toni Ropose, Kerttu Niskanen made one of the hardest bets ever – he was on different lines with the dissatisfied Iivo Niskanen

Two races out of seven have been skied at the Tour de Ski. Finnish skiers were expected to raise their stocks on Sunday, and at least that’s what happened Kerttu Niskanen under.

Niskanen achieved by far the fastest time in the 10 km distance on traditional skiing and with his second place he took the shared top spot in Norway Tiril Udnes Wengin and Sweden Frida Karlsson with. Norwegian Anne Kjersti Kalvå is two seconds away from the top three.

– Yes, this was one of Kertu’s hardest bets ever. He did a lot of work alone in a tight spot and showed that he is in unimaginably good shape. It beats more expectations when we think about the overall situation on the Tour, Urheilu’s expert Toni Roponen stated and reminded that there are no bad trips left for Niskanen on the tour.

– Kerttu certainly wanted to go on the road with a risk limit, but today we could see that there was no risk involved.

In Roponen’s opinion, Sunday’s pursuit race was of great importance in terms of the overall race, as he had originally thought that Niskanen would be close to the top only after the third stage. Now Niskanen gets to his main journey, the 10-kilometer traditional cross-country time trial, from the shared top spot.

– After all, this is a delicious situation with Kerttu in mind, but it also includes three other early favorites and all in very good settings. They are all also able to ski the next trip well.

Roponen: Pärmäkoski is too far away

Sunday’s race had high risk factors, as the race tracks are located at an altitude of approximately 1,600 meters. Too fast an initial speed could have caused clotting, but even though Niskanen started his own performance hard, he managed his travel speed well.

– It just tells you how incredibly tough Kerttu is. Krista (Pärmäkoski) started the first climb just as hard, but his skiing up that hill seemed quite difficult, Roponen said and wondered if Pärmäkoski perhaps skied too hard in the first kilometer.

– As for Kertu, the situation is now great, but for other Finns, Krista, for example, is unacceptably far away if we start talking about the battle for victory.

Pärmäkoski stated after the pursuit race that he gave the others a handicap when his skis slipped. The weather changed just before the race, and it caused a headache when choosing skis. Pärmäkoski didn’t stay to worry about this, but would have chosen the same pair even after the race. However, he was saddened by the fact that a good ranking slipped out of reach.

– There would have been big fish available here, but not today, not yet. Let’s move on and see what comes from there, he thought and assured that the condition is good at the moment.

– I’ve been at a high altitude for three weeks, so it’s nice to come down to ski a race. If you could find speed there.

Iivo Niskanen is still not in top form

Iivo Niskanen was 14th in the men’s race and skied the eighth fastest split time. This was not enough for him, even though it was only his second World Cup race this season. Niskanen would have liked to stay better with the Norwegian skiers who skied in front of him. He didn’t even like the share time.

– It’s really far away. There is still plenty to do, but the main thing is that we are skiing in a race. Two weeks ago it would have been much weaker than eighth, Niskanen, who has recovered from the corona virus, told Urheilu after the race.

Although Niskanen was dissatisfied with his result, Roponen was not on the same lines as him. In Roponen’s opinion, the only thing that could be read from Niskanen’s comment was that usually nothing else is good for him other than victory or prize places and Niskanen and his coach Olli Ohtonen can be satisfied with the situation in which Finland’s number one male skier is at the moment.

– Iivo is not quite at his peak yet, but it couldn’t be. He lasted seven kilometers at an unimaginably fast initial pace. There was a small death in between, but a good fight to the end, Roponen praised.

According to Roponen, Niskanen’s tactics were not important in the final games, as he has shown in previous years that he can squat everyone with his fast pace.

After Monday’s break, the Tour moves to Germany and Oberstdorf, where a 10 km time trial will be skied. Iivo Niskanen has also been waiting for that race, and after that he plans to make a decision on whether he will continue the Tour.

– I hope Ober is doing better. If it’s so bad that I’m eighth, then I won’t continue, Niskanen stated.

Roponen believes that Niskanen is capable of a strong result in Oberstdorf. In his opinion, Niskanen is close to the condition to be successful.

Based on today, is Iivo Niskanen in the fight for victory on Tuesday?

– It is, Roponen assured.