Hear Anders Blomquist’s reasoning about the Swedes’ chances in the clip above.
Last year, the podium in the Tour de Ski on the men’s side consisted of Johannes Hösflot Kläbo, Simen Hegstad Krüger and Hans Christer Holund – in that order. This year, when the final stage is decided in Alpe Cermis, everyone is missing. Holund has retired and Kläbo and Krüger have both had to throw in the towel due to illness.
The question is whether it opens up for any of the Swedes to be able to take home the entire tour?
Well, not really, if you ask SVT’s expert Anders Blomquist.
– It would have suited Calle (Halfvarsson) perfectly, but now he is also coming back from covid, so it is a big uncertainty, he says.
“Had quite a lot of trouble”
Nor is William Poromaa a favorite to win, according to Blomquist.
– He has had quite a lot of trouble. Had it been a normal season, I would have absolutely said he could compete with the very best. He has a chance on the podium, but then everything has to be right.
However, it will of course be completely different conditions for the riders when Kläbo and Krüger do not come to the start.
– It will change the conditions completely. In a way, it will be more exciting even if all that magic and fantastic that Kläbo can offer disappears, says Anders Blomquist.
Tour de Ski runs between December 30-January 7.