Jessie Diggins is leading the prestigious Tour de Ski after skiing into third place on Monday, December 29, in the 10km classic in Toblach, Italy. Diggins has won the Tour de Ski twice, first in 2020-21 and then again in 2023-24. She is the first non-European cross-country skier to win the Tour de Ski and is currently in contention to make it three overall titles.
The Tour de Ski is an annual multi-stage cross-country skiing competition and one of the most prestigious events in the sport. Modeled after cycling’s Tour de France, it takes place over several days around New Year and features a series of races held at different locations across Europe. It is part of the FIS Cross-Country World Cup calendar and is considered a test of endurance, versatility, and tactical skill. The Tour features six races over eight days at iconic cross-country venues in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and Czechia, with Val di Fiemme traditionally serving as the finale. This year, however, the Tour is being held entirely in Italy, with Toblach hosting four events. Similar to the Tour de France, if an athlete does not finish a stage or drops out, they cannot continue in the Tour.
Diggins finished the first stage of the 20th Tour de Ski—a sprint race in skating style—on Sunday, December 28, in fourth place. Backing up Sunday’s strong performance with a third-place finish in Monday’s 10km classic has now put Diggins in the overall lead. The times from each stage are added together, rather than individual rankings, to determine the winner.
10 American athletes started the 2025–26 Tour de Ski: four women (Jessie Diggins, Julia Kern, Luci Anderson, and Alayna Sonnesyn) and six men (Gus Schumacher, Ben Ogden, J.C. Schoonmaker, Jack Young, Kevin Bolger, and Zak Ketterson).
Diggins announced earlier this year that she intends to retire after the current season. The 34-year-old Minnesota native is the most successful American cross-country skier of all time, having won three Overall World Cup season titles and three Olympic medals. Those include the historic 2018 team sprint gold with Kikkan Randall, the first Olympic cross-country gold ever won by Americans. Diggins has also claimed 30 individual World Cup victories, most recently winning the skiathlon in Trondheim, a race in which athletes switch from classic to skating technique mid-race.
