Status active Frequency annual Inaugurated 2006 | Genre sporting event Organised by FIS | |
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Date(s) late December – early January Organiser International Ski Federation | ||
Highlights weng crowned 2016 17 tour de ski queen on alpe cermis fis cross country
The Tour de Ski (TdS) is a cross-country skiing event held annually since the 2006-2007 season in Central Europe, modeled on the Tour de France of cycling. Each Tour de Ski has consisted of six to nine stages, held during late December and early January in the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland. The prize money for the event amount to 1,055,000 Swiss francs (844,000 euros), shared out on both men and women. Men's and women's events are held together on the same days, with the only difference being the distance skied.
Contents
- Highlights weng crowned 2016 17 tour de ski queen on alpe cermis fis cross country
- History
- Ranking
- Overall winners
- Most overall wins in a row
- Most completed tours
- Most stage wins in a row
- Most stage wins in the Tour de Ski
- Most successful countries
- Venues
- References
History
Cross-country skiing had been through a period of renewal from the early 1980s, when the free technique was first introduced to the World Championships which led to a rush of new events, including pursuit skiing, sprint skiing and eventually long mass start races, to complement the old time trial or individual start style of skiing. The Tour is another such new event, and the idea has been reported to come from former Olympic gold medallist Vegard Ulvang. Ulvang has also brought up the idea of a tour of the Barents Region, Tour de Barents, with races in Kirkenes (Sandnes) and Vadsø in Finnmark and Murmansk in Russia.
Jürg Capol, FIS' chief executive officer for cross-country competitions, said that FIS originally wished to start the race in the Alps. However, as neither Austria or Switzerland were interested, the opening two races were to be held in Nové Město na Moravě in the Czech Republic. A week before the Tour was due to start, FIS announced that snow conditions in Nové Město were not good enough, and cancelled the two races there.
Skiers from France, Germany and Norway, among others, said that the Tour de Ski was among their targets for the 2006–07 season, with Norwegian skier Jens Arne Svartedal claiming that the winner would have "extreme respect" for winning such an extreme race.
After the first Tour, reactions among athletes were largely positive. Norwegian athletes said "it was a good concept", German winner Tobias Angerer claimed the Tour "has a great future", though many of the athletes expressed concern over the final climb up an alpine skiing hill both before and after the race. The director of FIS' cross-country committee, Vegard Ulvang, said the finish would be in the same place next year, but the way up could be changed. Ulvang also claimed that the Tour had been a success, and a "breakthrough for FIS" Ulvang did, however, admit that there would have to be some changes, as up to a third of participants in the Tour have struggled with illness or injury after the competition.
Newspaper comments were divided: in Expressen's opinion, the finish was the "most enjoyable competition seen in years," while Roland Wiedemann in Der Spiegel said this "should be the future of cross-country skiing". Critical commentaries appeared in Göteborgs-Posten, criticising the fact that sprinters didn't have a chance in the overall standings, and Wiesbaden Kurier, describing it as a reality show and a skiing circus.
The next Tour was held between 28 December 2007 and 6 January 2008, in the Czech Republic and Italy. Oberstdorf in Bavaria was originally scheduled to host two races, but cancelled as the German Ski Association could only arrange a race on 2 January.
At a meeting in Venice, Italy, on 7 May 2009, TdS officials met with official from the Giro d'Italia road cycle race to learn from the stage race to further improve TdS competition for the 2009–2010 event.
Ranking
The overall results are based on the aggregate time for all events, as well as bonus seconds awarded on sprint and mass start stages.
The sprint races carry bonus seconds for the finish, which are subtracted from the overall time.
In mass start competitions, intermediate points carry bonus seconds; 15 to the winner, 10 to number two, and 5 to number three. The same amount of seconds are awarded at the finish. In the later editions of the Tour, intermediate points has been handed out to the 10 first skiers (15-12-10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1) past the intermediate point.
The final stage of the race includes a steep climb up Alpe Cermis, with a height difference of 425 meters. This last stage is held in a pursuit format, with competitors starting with the gaps they have in the overall classification, so the first skier to reach the top is the overall winner.
Overall winners
Most overall wins in a row
Most completed tours
Most stage wins in a row
Most stage wins in the Tour de Ski
Most successful countries
State after the disqualification of Johannes Dürr (Austria).
Venues
1 cancelled due to lack of snow
2 relocated from Oberstdorf to Nové Město na Moravě due scheduling problems