Indomitable Jessie Diggins captures Tour de Ski to sharpen Olympic hopes

Diggins wins six-stage Tour de Ski for third time American finishes more than two minutes clear Norway’s Klæbo hauls in record fifth men’s title Jessie Diggins capped one of the most demanding stretches in cross-country skiing on Sunday by winning the Tour de Ski for the third time, a result that further solidifies her status as an Olympic medal favorite heading into what she has already announced will be her final season . Diggins, the 34-year-old American from Afton, Minnesota, clinched the overall title after the sixth and final stage of the Tour de Ski, an eight-day, multi-race series staged across Italy and modeled after cycling’s Tour de France. The competition tests skiers across sprint and distance races, classic and freestyle techniques, and concludes with the sport’s most notorious challenge: a steep, lung-burning climb up Alpe Cermis. Continue reading...