Largest ever British Tour de Ski squad makes history in Toblach and Val di Fiemme

British Cross-Country skiers made history over the New Year period with a series of outstanding performances delivering the strongest set of results ever recorded by a British team at this year’s Tour de Ski, including two British athletes in the top-20 of the event’s final standings.

The Tour began with the largest British contingent ever to start the Stage World Cup event, with James Clugnet, Joe Davies, Gabriel Gledhill, Andrew Musgrave, Anna Pryce, Tabitha Williams, and Andrew Young making up a seven-strong British team as the event got underway in Toblach.

The 5km F stage on New Year’s Eve delivered the best individual result of the Tour, with Clugnet’s fifth place finish marking the 29-year-old’s best ever individual World Cup result with a performance which saw him finish just 0.7s behind the stage winner, and only 0.1s off the podium, while five days later Davies also delivered his career best World Cup result with an astonishing sixth place finish in the 10km F Mass Start, in a stage which saw Musgrave finish eighth, marking a first ever occasion of two British athletes featuring in the top-10 of a Cross-Country World Cup race.

Musgrave and Davies’ combined results were sufficient to secure both a top-20 berth in the overall standings, finishing 15th and 16th respectively, leaving Britain one of only five nations – alongside Norway, Sweden, Italy, and France – to have multiple athletes finish inside the top-20.

Speaking after the Tour, Joe Davies said:

“To have the results we’ve had this Tour de Ski means so much to all of us. It’s not only a testament to the work we’ve put in, but also to the belief that British skiing belongs at the top. We’ll continue to build on these results and use them as fuel to even bigger things.”

Cross-Country Team Manager, Jostein Vinjerui said:

“This was a great way to end the Tour de Ski with two athletes in the top eight today, and Joe’s first top six finish in a World Cup field. I’m proud on the team’s behalf of having three different athletes feature in the top six of a World Cup event so far this season.

“We’re looking forward now to the Olympics, where our goal is to ensure we’re operating at at least the same level we’ve shown here.”

GB Snowsport Head Coach, Pat Sharples, added:

“This has been one of the strongest Tour de Ski events we’ve ever had from the British team, and getting this close to the Olympic Games it shows they’re coming into form at the right time.

“Andrew Musgrave has continued to show he’s one of the best athletes on the world stage, as he has been consistently for many years now, but seeing performances from James Clugnet with his fifth place in the 5km Free stage, along with today’s sixth place from Joe, is really exciting.

“The whole team are fully dedicated to their craft, and it’s brilliant to see the years of hard work paying off.”