From catastrophe to ecstasy: Hyvärinen makes it a golden double for Finland

Remember the name: Perttu Hyvärinen. Having never even stepped on an individual World Cup podium before, the 32-year-old made it a golden double for Finland on the second day of the 2023/24 Tour de Ski in Toblach, Italy.

The Finn didn’t just win the Men’s 10km Classic time trial (interval start) on Sunday: he killed it, making the most of the absence through illness of the great Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) to post a time of 23 minutes, 8.6 seconds, 16.2 seconds clear of an otherwise strong field.

And was fitting that two other powerful Norwegians, Erik Valnes and Harald Oestberg Amundsen, who crossed the line one second apart, finished second and third respectively. Norway had won every men’s World Cup distance race in 2023 until the last day of the year  – what a way to see their run come to an end.

If Kerttu Niskanen’s win in the women’s race on Sunday morning came as no surprise – she has multiple World Cup victories to her name in 10km Classics – Hyvärinen’s triumph in the afternoon came completely out of the blue.

A triple world junior bronze medallist in 2011, Hyvärinen’s only medals in ten years of senior World Cup racing have been relay bronzes in 2021 and 2022. Even a promising showing at the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, where he finished sixth in the 15km Classical and seventh in the 30km Skiathlon, would have provided few clues as to what would unfold here.

The 28th racer to go out, Hyvärinen took advantage of near-perfect conditions for the early starters. Like compatriot Niskanen earlier in the day, his skis seemed to have the perfect blend of grip on the steep uphills and glide on the long flat sections and sweeping descent to the finish. He had the fastest time by 2.2s at the 3km mark and his lead grew with every split.

Hyvärinen was hugged by his teammates as he crossed the line, sensing it would be a tough time to beat. And so it proved with a strong-looking section of athletes going out between 35th and 40th – Calle Halfvarsson (SWE), Andrew Musgrave (GBR), William Poromaa (SWE), Didrik Toenseth, Martin Loewstroem  Nyenget, Paal Golberg (all NOR) – soon falling off the pace.

Only 12 skiers finished within a minute of Hyvärinen’s incredible time, with Saturday’s sprint winner Lucas Chanavat (FRA) more than four minutes back.

Valnes’s second place gives him the overall lead in the Tour de Ski, just four seconds ahead of Amundsen. Although no match for the Finn, both will be pleased with Sunday's showing given they were among the later starters when snowfall made the course slower and conditions more difficult.

“I am really impressed [by Hyvärinen’s victory]," Amundsen said. "I think the Finnish team had incredible skis today, but that was an impressive race.”

Ben Ogden, who followed up Saturday’s third place with a gutsy ninth on Sunday, is a further 24 seconds back, ten seconds ahead of Hyvärinen. These are the positions and time differences the racers will start Monday’s 20km Pursuit with.

For full results from Toblach, click here.