We previously reported that this season’s “Tour de ski” will have fewer stages, but it includes an innovation – a new format distance with several mass starts in groups.
“When the Tour de Ski was introduced in the 2007 season, it was long, ‘brutal’ and spectacular. Now it is short, easy and miserable,” says the skiing star.
This year’s series consists of six stages, one less than last year. For the second time in the history of the tour, all the stages take place in Italy, divided into two locations: Toblach and Valdifiemme.
“I remember when the Tour de Ski started, how spectacular it was. What a huge challenge it was for everyone. But now? It’s too easy and too short,” says Klebeau.
“The Tour de Ski has to be very difficult in every aspect. You used to go through a lot of different places, doing nine stages in ten days. It was Cortina, Toblach, Prague… That was difficult in itself. And then the stages were much harder,” he says, continuing: “I don’t like that they’re shortening everything. The sprints are too short, the whole Tour is too easy. We need to bring back the city sprint, the evening stages and the really difficult formats.”
Klebo also believes that the tour may not be reaching its biggest audience potential. “Having a skiing event at Christmas time is great. But we’re starting too late. We should start in the middle of Christmas when people are at home and have nothing to do. Imagine how many people would have sat down to watch skiing on TV on Christmas Day. Now they’re waiting until the first stage until the fifth day off Christmas when everyone’s out and partying.”
“We skiers don’t celebrate Christmas the same way,” adds the multiple Olympic and world champion.
This is not the first time Klebo and pundits have criticized the tour in its current format. Last year, one of them even advocated for the abolition of the iconic final stage against the mountains of downhill skiing.
