After a controlled start, Johannes Hösflot Kläbo increased the pace and took over the lead by 2.3 seconds after 8.4 kilometers. Before that, the Norwegian had been behind Iivo Niskanen, who opened the race at a furious pace.
– I tried to open controlled and think it worked well. I had a good grasp of Iivo, says Kläbo.
Kläbo kept extending its lead. With four kilometers left of the 20 kilometer race, the distance to Niskanen was 21 seconds.
Leo Johansson best Swede
At the finish line, he was 24 seconds ahead of the Finn, who finished second at home in Lahtis. The last time Niskanen won in the World Cup was in Lahtis just over two years ago, when Kläbo was second.
– It feels good to change the order. We have had a few duels in Lahtis over the years, says the Norwegian.
It became Norwegian also in third place through Martin Löwström Nyenget who was 58.2 seconds behind Kläbo. Leo Johansson was the best Swede in tenth place, almost two minutes behind the lead.
Burman: “Deplorable”
The position is his best individual in the World Cup.
– It was a tough race, I had to fight for every meter. I wanted to get into the top ten this year. It’s good and it’s fun, says Johansson.
For Jens Burman it was 22nd place, while Björn Sandström was 29th and Eric Rosjö 36th.
– It was a bad day, miserable for me, says Burman.
– I was heavy in the body and tired. It felt good the first lap but then I got tired. I had good skis and it felt good before the race.
CLIP: Mathias Fredriksson on Kläbo’s “running technique”
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Mathias Fredriksson answers whether everyone should start running like Kläbo on the uphills. Photo: SVT/Bildbyrån