VAL DI FIEMME GEARS UP THE TOUR DE SKI RETURNS ON JANUARY 3-4

Winter is about to get in full swing, and Val di Fiemme is ready to return to the forefront of world cross-country skiing. With about a month and a half to go before the return of the spectacular Tour de Ski, the Trentino venue is preparing for a unique edition: on January 3 and 4, 2026, Val di Fiemme will host the second and final stage of the Tour, a historic event celebrating 20 years of one of the most popular events in international skiing.

For two decades, Val di Fiemme has been the beating heart of world cross-country skiing, and this upcoming season, the magic will return to the Cross-Country Stadium of Lago di Tesero and the iconic Alpe Cermis, where the legendary Final Climb will take place along the ascent that has written some of the most memorable pages in the history of Nordic skiing.

The curtain will rise on Saturday, January 3, at the Cross-Country Stadium of Lago di Tesero, which has already hosted three World Championships and countless World Cup competitions and is now set to host the upcoming Winter Olympics. At 12.15 pm, the Sprint qualifications in classic technique for men and women will begin, while in the afternoon, from 2.45 pm, the finals will be held, where the speed, tactics and power of the best international cross-country skiers will thrill the audience, kicking off an exciting weekend, all live on television.

On Sunday, January 4, the challenge will move to the Olimpia III of the Alpe Cermis, the climb that has written its name in Tour history. From 11.30 am, with the start in Lago di Tesero, the men’s 10 km Mass Start in free technique race will be held, followed by the award ceremony, while in the afternoon, at 3.30 pm, it will be the women’s race turn, which will close the 20^th edition of the Tour in the most spectacular way possible. The track, with a vertical drop of over 400 metres and gradients of up to 30%, has seen the most successful competitors being Poland's Justyna Kowalczyk, Switzerland's Dario Cologna, and Norway's Therese Johaug and Johannes Høsflot Klæbo, all with four victories.

Moreover, speaking of unmissable events, the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games are fast approaching, an event that marks the pinnacle of Val di Fiemme's organisational experience and an extraordinary opportunity for growth and new prospects. The Trentino valley will be at the centre of Nordic skiing, hosting competitions at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium and the Lago di Tesero Cross-Country Stadium. The Olympics will take place from February 6 to 22, followed by the Paralympics from March 6 to 15, and Val di Fiemme will award more than 30% of the medals, with a total of 59 competitions: 21 Olympic and 38 Paralympic. With 50 men and 50 women participating in Ski Jumping, 36 men in Nordic Combined, 296 athletes in Cross-country Skiing and 180 competitors in Cross-country Skiing and Biathlon for the Paralympics, this will be an even more special edition, boasting the highest number of female athletes ever (47%).

The race programs will include Skiathlon, Sprint, Individual, Mass Start, Relay and Team Sprint for Cross-Country Skiing; Individual, Mixed Team and Super Team for Ski Jumping, Individual Gundersen and Team Sprint for Nordic Combined. The Paralympic Games format will propose, instead, for the Sitting, Standing and Vision Impaired categories the Sprint CT, Individual 10/20 km and the Mixed Relays for Para Cross-country Skiing, and the Individual, Sprint and Sprint Pursuit races for Para-Biathlon.

During the Olympic Games, numerous initiatives and activities will take place throughout the Val di Fiemme: events will be organised in Predazzo, Cavalese, Tesero and Ziano di Fiemme, where concerts, exhibitions, parades, shows and much more will be staged.

During the Tour de Ski, athletes, staff and volunteers will be able to test the Cross-Country Stadium, which will already be largely set up for the Olympic Games.

In recent weeks, as the mountains begin to turn white, the countdown has begun for the 20^th Tour de Ski and the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, and Val di Fiemme is already buzzing with excitement for these major events. Thirty-five countries are set to take part in the Tour, demonstrating the great appeal of the circuit, which has always seen Val di Fiemme determine and celebrate the protagonists, who usually go on to win the World Cup given the amount of points awarded in the Tour. The spectacle is guaranteed, not least because Johannes Høsflot Klæbo alone, if he is at the start as it seems, could be capable of achieving a legendary five wins. The challenges at Lago di Tesero and on the slopes of Alpe Cermis are unmissable. Save the date, January 3 and 4!

©Newspower.it