Cross-country skiing: “A childhood dream come true,” says Mika Vermeulen
During the last stage of the Ski Tour in Val di Fiemme (Italy), Mika Vermeulen simply wrote a page in the history of cross country ski Austrian. Fighting with an iron will on the steep slopes of Alpe Cermis, he finished in second place (+7.8 sec.), behind the Norwegian Simen Hegstad Krueger.
Thanks to this fabulous performance, the 25-year-old also secured a spectacular second place (+1’23) in the general classification of the tour, to the detriment of the Frenchman. Hugo Lapalus who could have snatched the title of first runner-up from him Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo during this ascent. Le Cluse, his most dangerous rival, was at the start only fifteen seconds behind him. This means that he had no room for error or a drop in speed.
Mika Vermeulen thus becomes the first Austrian to get on the podium in this competition.
Until the start of the climb, the peloton remained unified. the leader of the ÖSV cross-country skiers then took the lead, leading the caravan through the demanding Alpe Cermis on several occasions.
Around 800 meters from the finish, he even broke away from the rest of the group, with the Norwegian Simen Hegstad Krueger in his skis. As we approach the finish line, Mika Vermeulen however had to let the Scandinavian, today extremely strong, pass.
“This second place at the Tour de Ski is a childhood dream come true. Being here alongside the best skiers in the world is simply indescribable. I imagined it but honestly I didn’t expect it, and when it happens, it’s just magnificent.”confided, moved, the skier.
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