Stenshagen was fastest at every checkpoint from 1.7km onwards, conquering the Toblach course’s many undulations where others faltered.
This included Klaebo, who was the 64th skier out of the starting gate, 31 positions behind his compatriot. This gave the great man a clear target to chase under clear blue skies. But for once Klaebo seemed to struggle a little on the big climbs and downhills, while Stenshagen’s skis seemed to be giving him the perfect balance of grip and glide on a track that had iced up overnight, when temperatures dropped to -10 degrees Celsius.
Stenshagen was 2.3 seconds faster than Klaebo at 1.7K, increasing his advantage to 5.9s at the halfway stage. That advantage had stabilised at 5.9s at the 6.7km mark, suggesting Klaebo was about to make his move. But Klaebo couldn’t find the extra gear that so often sets him apart from his competitions. Instead, the gap increased to 9.2s then 11s at 8K.
A late burst from Klaebo wasn’t enough and he eventually finished 8.9s to back claim a rare second place. Iversen was the only other athlete to threaten the top of the podium, but he too began to fade in the final third of the race. He finished 10.1s back to claim his second medal of the season and complete the second all-Norwegian podium in as many days.