Karlsson claims comeback win in brutal Les Rousses 20km
Jan 19, 2025·Cross-Country
Frida Karlsson (SWE) made a timely return to form ahead of next month’s world championships with victory in the 20km Classic Mass Start at the FIS Cross Country World Cup event in Les Rousses, France on Sunday.
The 2022-23 Tour de Ski winner and eight-time individual world championship medallist won the first World Cup race of the season – a 10km Classic in Ruka, Finland – but had been absent from the circuit through illness and injury since December 6 before this weekend.
After proving her fitness with a seventh place in Friday’s 10km Freestyle, Karlsson showed the class that has now won her 13 World Cup races, nine of them in classic races, including six mass starts – this is clearly a format she likes.
Even the absent big-name trio of Jessie Diggins, Therese Johaug and Heidi Weng (both NOR) would have struggled to keep pace with the Swede on a brutal but intriguing course in Les Rousses. It features arguably the toughest climb on the World Cup circuit – a long, sharp uphill that runs parallel with a ski jump coming out of the stadium.
The skiers had to scale it six times with many reduced to walking pace by the final lap, but Karlsson made it look comparatively easy.
Starting 11th, she quickly made her way to the front of the pack and became part of a six-strong breakaway at the start of lap two that also featured Ebba Andersson (SWE), Kerttu Niskanen (FIN), Katharina Hennig (GER), Teresa Stadlober (AUT) and Astrid Oeyre Slind (NOR).
Karlsson was doing most of the front running, often a dangerous tactic in distance races where sharing the load allows each skier to take advantage of the slipstream of those in front.
But the 25-year-old clearly felt in great shape. Having moved clear of the chasing pack alongside Andersson, Karlsson made her move on lap five, opening up a gap of 28.9 seconds on her compatriot in the blink of an eye.
Further and further into the distance she skied, eventually crossing the line in 55 minutes, 29.1 seconds, an enormous 1:29.9 ahead of Andersson.
“It was really fun today,” Karlsson said, before giving a ‘whoop!’ of delight to the television camera. “Friday I had some butterflies in my stomach but today I had lower shoulders and just had fun out there. It felt very good.
“In the last 10K I felt relaxed and strong and just kept on fighting. I think it was awesome.
“I will get some energy from the altitude down here in the Alps, then hopefully I will be in my best shape for the world champs.”
This was a first World Cup podium of the season for double world champion Andersson, who had to hold off a strong challenge from Stadlober (AUT) to take second place.
For the Austrian, this was a second podium of the season and a fifth overall in the World Cup, after she had to wait five years to claim her fourth.
“I think it was a tough race for everybody, the speed was pretty high from the beginning,” Stadlober, who finished fourth in Friday’s 10km Freestyle, said. “It's not a usual race for me – I was in third place for nearly half of the race – but my shape was good.”
The 31-year-old has now claimed eight top-10 finishes this season.
Slind finished fourth to close the gap on Diggins at the top of the overall World Cup standings. The Norwegian, who said her plan on Sunday was to “hang on” to the leaders, also moved to the top of the distance standings.
The FIS Cross Country World Cup now moves on to Engadin, Switzerland, beginning with the 4x7.5km Relay on Friday 24 January.
For the full results from Les Rousses, click here
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