Press Release 6^th January 2013

UNBEATABLE KOWALCZYK IN VAL DI FIEMME
FOURTH TOUR DE SKI OVERALL IN A ROW

Kowalczyk dominated the last 2013 Viessmann Tour de Ski race in Val di Fiemme
Johaug and Steira finished second and third overall
Over fifteen thousands people gathered all along the Final Climb track
Men’s Final Climb scheduled at 2.50pm

Justyna Kowalczyk was perfectly aware that she was ahead of Therese Johaug by more than two minutes in Tour de Ski overall. She also knew extremely well that the Final Climb on the Alpe Cermis (Val di Fiemme) is not the case you can sit back and take it too easy, otherwise you might lose the title. 
Polish strong skier showed up at the start today and you could read maximum concentration in her eyes: the only target for her was to seize the fourth TDS title in a row. It never happened in the entire history of the World Cup series.
From Johaug’s point of view, it was hard but not impossible to climb up the standings while climbing up…the mountain, to reach the fugitive Kowalczyk.
The first 5k of today’s track were practically flat from the cross country stadium in Lago di Tesero to the beginning of the Alpe Cermis climb and Kowalczyk started off in a relatively easy way. After 4k, Johaug of Norway managed to catch up a bit and close a little the gap with Kowalckzyk. Johaug’s action was impressive all the way up Alpe Cermis, she climbed the Italian mountain 5 seconds faster than she did last year, but the gap was too wide and Kowalczyk eventually entered the final stretch on her own, surrounded by hundreds of excited Polish fans. 
‘Once again, it’s been a fantastic Tour de Ski’, said Polish at the end of the race, ‘for the fourth time I sit on the first spot and I’m so happy. It is very exciting to have so many Polish fans cheering you up everywhere you are, cause this is what have happened during this year’s Tour.’ And when asked which was the most memorable Tour de Ski in career, she admitted that every series she has won was special, but the toughest one was certainly the first one against Petra Majdic four years ago.
Norwegian Johaug and Steira both expressed satisfaction with their results and they will come back in Val di Fiemme in February with guns blazing at the Nordic World Ski Championships (20 Feb – 3 Mar). Kowalczyk is well warned!
Men’s Final Climb is scheduled today at 2.50pm and Dario Cologna will attempt to grab his fourth title. Northug, Legkov and Vylegzhanin are all chasing him in the overall with a total gap of less than 20 seconds. 
Info: www.fiemme2013:com 

Ladies 9km Free Final Climb Pursuit 

1. KOWALCZYK Justyna POL 35:52.5; 2. JOHAUG Therese NOR 36:20.4; 3. STEIRA Kristin Stoermer NOR 38:32.0; 4. LAHTEENMAKI Krista FIN 38:57.2; 5. JACOBSEN Astrid Uhrenholdt NOR 39:06.0; 6. WENG Heidi NOR 39:21.6; 7. KALLA Charlotte SWE 39:43.8; 8. ROPONEN Riitta-Liisa FIN 40:12.1; 9. KYLLOENEN Anne FIN 40:15.5; 10. ZELLER Katrin GER 40:50.9