Cross-country skiing, Tour de Ski | Poromaa disqualified. Has major consequences

VAL DI FIEMME (Nettavisen): William Poromaa has had his Tour de ski ruined after he was disqualified in Friday’s sprint in Val di Fiemme.

The Swede will also be given a three-minute time penalty in the tour as a result of the disqualification. That makes him more or less without a chance in the summary before the last two stages.

Race director Michal Lamplot explains that Poromaa was involved in two different incidents that led to the disqualification during the sprint.

Read also: Program for Tour de ski 2022/23

Two yellow cards

Lamplot says that the Swede skated on part of the track, for which he received a yellow card. A little later he received another yellow card for changing lanes and obstructing a competitor.

– Two yellow cards mean automatic disqualification, says Lamplot.

The race director explains that the jury has decided that Poromaa will be allowed to continue the tour, but that he will therefore be given a time penalty of three minutes.

– He can continue with the addition of three minutes added to his total time in the tour, explains Lamplot.

The Swede would initially be in 7th place in the tour after today’s stage, but with the time penalty he is now down to 35th place – 4 minutes and 46 seconds behind tour leader Johannes Høsflot Klæbo.

– Unnecessary

Without the time penalty, Poromaa would seriously be in the fight for a podium place.

NRK’s ​​cross-country expert Torgeir Bjørn has no doubts about the consequences of the punishment for Poromaa.

– It ruins the whole tour for him, says Bjørn to Nettavisen.

The expert believes it should have been avoided.

– It is very unnecessary of him, says Bjørn.

Poromaa was not yet disqualified when he went through the interview zone after the race on Friday. However, he stated that he expected a yellow card for the one incident.

– It was too big a chance to take. You never know, but it felt like it was a little too much for the hair. I look behind me and it’s clear it’s on the border. I mean I’m going to get in there, but it didn’t happen, said Poromaa.