Niskanen takes Falun 10km revenge on Klaebo to promise 'exciting' World Championships

Iivo Niskanen (FIN) won the Men's 10km Interval Start Classic in Falun, Sweden, on Saturday, showing that he will be a medal candidate in the event at the upcoming FIS Nordic Ski World Championships in Trondheim, Norway.

The 33-year-old, starting with bib No.46, had the best times at every split around the course and claimed his first Coop FIS Cross-Country World Cup victory since winning the same event in Ruka, Finland, in November, finishing 12.9 seconds before runner-up Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo (NOR) as Erik Valnes (NOR) completed the podium.

"It felt nice," Niskanen said.

"Tricky conditions today. It was quite windy, it snowed a bit and there was a lot of skiing outside of the classic lines."

Last season, Klaebo had won the Falun 10km Classic, finishing 22.1 seconds before Niskanen in second place.

"I remember it really well and this year has been a bit better for me so far," Niskanen said.

This year, Klaebo, who had won Friday's Sprint Classic, never got close. The overall World Cup leader started with bib No.60 and was able to race knowing his main opponents' split times, but had to focus on getting past Valnes to claim the second place.

After 6.7km, Klaebo was still in third place but made a strong push in the last third of the race, beating Valnes by 4.6 seconds.

Martin Loewstroem Nyenget (NOR) had the ninth best time at the 3.8km mark but caught up to finish in fourth place.

Falun-born Calle Halfvarsson (SWE), who started in position 33 to cheers of the home fans, had made a solid run to finish in 25:43.1 and take a seat in the leader's chair. From there, he could watch Nyenget in bib No.44 pace his race perfectly to beat him by almost half a minute.

The Norwegian however hardly had time to sit down in the leader's chair before Niskanen completed his Interval Start Classic masterclass.

It was the first 10km race since Niskanen's last victory, in Ruka, that was not won by a Norwegian.

Having claimed a gold medal in the Men's 15km Interval Start Classic at the World Championships in Lahti, Finland, in 2017, Niskanen will look to repeat the feat in the 10km Classic on 4 March. He said he wants to use the two weeks remaining to get even stronger.

"I will try to improve a bit," Niskanen said.

Hugo Lapalus (FRA) finished in fifth place, 24.5 seconds after the winner, as Edvin Anger's (SWE) sixth place made him the best home skier. 

Mika Vermeulen (AUT) claimed the seventh place, three seconds faster than Halfvarsson and Simen Hegstad Krueger (NOR), who shared the eighth place, 48.8 seconds behind Niskanen.

Paal Golberg (NOR) completed a top-10 that was less dominated by Norway than usual this season. Behind him, Andres Fjorden Ree and Harald Oestberg Amundsen however made it seven Norwegian skiers among the best 12.

The Falun World Cup stage concludes with the Men's 20km Mass Start Free on Sunday that will be the final rehearsal before the World Championships.

Click here for full results from the Men's 10km Interval Start Classic and here to follow FIS Cross-Country on Youtube.