Johannes Hoesflot Klæbo of Norway dominated the men's 20km classic mass start at the FIS Cross-Country World Cup in Goms, Switzerland, securing his 107th World Cup victory ahead of compatriots Emil Iversen and Harald Oestberg Amundsen. The Norwegian trio broke away early, leaving the rest of the field behind on the challenging course. This win serves as a strong prelude to the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics.
The race unfolded on a demanding Swiss track with steep climbs exceeding 17%. After eight kilometers, Klæbo, Iversen, and Amundsen formed a decisive breakaway, gradually extending their lead to nearly 40 seconds by the final lap. Klæbo then accelerated on the penultimate climb, dropping his teammates and coasting to victory 5.6 seconds ahead of Iversen, with Amundsen third at seven seconds back.
Norway dominated the top seven positions: Haavard Moseby fourth, more than 50 seconds behind; Andreas Fjorden Ree fifth; Erik Valnes sixth; and Mattis Stenshagen seventh. Neutral athlete Saveliy Korostelev of Russia finished eighth, followed by France's Mathis Desloges in ninth and Switzerland's Beda Klee in tenth. Desloges, returning after a month's absence, stayed competitive until the final climb, marking his third top-10 finish this season.
French skiers showed solid form overall, with Hugo Lapalus 11th, Jules Lapierre 12th, and Théo Schely 14th, though Victor Lovera did not finish due to grip issues. Klæbo, reflecting on his performance, said, “I felt really good, we had incredible skis. I’m in very good shape, I’ve just come back from a camp at altitude and it seems to be working well. I hope to keep this form for the next few weeks.” Iversen, securing his best result of the season, noted the intense Norwegian competition ahead of the Olympics.
The event highlighted Norway's depth, with eight strong contenders vying for Olympic spots. As the final World Cup before the Milano Cortina Games, it underscored Klæbo's readiness, having won all four of his Goms starts.
