Diggins Leads U.S. Effort on Opening Stage of Tour de Ski in Toblach in Fourth

The 20th edition of the Tour de Ski opened Sunday in Toblach, Italy with a fast and chaotic skate sprint that set the tone for the weeklong World Cup stage race. The annual tour, which traditionally begins in Toblach and concludes in Val di Fiemme — the host venue of the upcoming Olympic Winter Games — brought success for the Stifel U.S. Ski Team, led once again by Jessie Diggins, and strong results, with six Americans in the top 30. 

Ten American athletes started the 2025 Tour de Ski, including four women — Diggins, Julia Kern, Luci Anderson and Alayna Sonnesyn — and six men — Gus Schumacher, Ben Ogden, J.C. Schoonmaker, Jack Young, Kevin Bolger and Zak Ketterson. The event hosts six races over eight days between two venues. Similar to the Tour de France, if an athlete does not finish a stage or drops out, they cannot continue in the Tour. 

Diggins, a two-time Tour de Ski overall champion and the defending 2024-25 Crystal Globe winner, anchored the U.S. performance on the day, advancing to the final and finishing just off the podium in fourth. 

The opening sprint was notable for its depth of American success, with six U.S. athletes advancing to the knockout heats, the most advancing to the heats of the 2025-26 season. Schumacher qualified second overall, just a second behind Norway’s Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, who went on to win the men’s race. Ogden and Young also carried momentum into Toblach after top-five finishes in the final skate sprint before the holiday break in Davos, Switzerland.

In the women’s quarterfinals, Diggins and Kern were paired together in the fourth heat of the day. The racing was marked by a mix of smooth skiing and multiple crashes across the course. At the end of the race, Kern was unable to advance and Diggins moved on to the semifinals by finishing second in the heat. 

Diggins skied a composed and tactical semifinal, controlling the pace early before settling into the draft through the finishing stretch. She crossed the line in third and briefly waited to see if her time would be enough to advance as a lucky loser. Moments later, Diggins and Sweden’s Johanna Hagström were confirmed into the final.

On the men’s side, Schumacher was the lone American to advance out of the quarterfinals. Bolger, Ogden and Young all narrowly missed progression, finishing less than one second outside the top two advancing positions in their respective heats. Schumacher’s semifinal proved difficult, as he was surrounded by Norwegian skiers and Austria’s Benjamin Moser. Despite fighting for position throughout the heat, making smart moves on the corners and skiing strongly, Schumacher was unable to advance to the final.

The men’s results were highlighted by four Americans finishing inside the top 30. Bolger posted a season-best result in 15th, Schumacher finished 11th, Ogden took 13th and Young placed 19th.

In the women’s final, attention centered on Diggins as she looked to defend her victory from the same Toblach sprint one year earlier. Against a stacked field, Norway’s Kristine Stavaas Skistad claimed the win, followed by Germany’s Coletta Rydzek in second and Sweden’s Maja Dahlqvist in third. Diggins battled through the final meters to finish fourth, just off the podium, while Kern placed 17th overall.

“It was fun to have another skate sprint,” Diggins said. “It’s fun to feel like my speed is coming and that the race sharpness is coming into place. I’m just excited for one last Tour de Ski.”

The Tour de Ski continues Sunday with the second stage in Toblach, with the 10k classic. In the overall Tour de Ski standings, Diggins is third and Schumacher leads the men in 10th. 

Watch LIVE on skiandsnowboard.live, with the men kicking things off at 5:45 a.m. ET and the women at 8:45 a.m. ET. 

RESULTS
Women
Men

Tour de Ski Overall Standings
Women
Men