(L-R) Norway's second placed Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, Norway's winner Martin Loewstroem Nyenget and Austria's third placed Mika Vermeulen celebrate on the podium after the men's cross-country skiing 10km classic style competition at the FIS World Cup Ruka Nordic in Kuusamo. Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva/dpaDPAFri, November 28, 2025 at 2:31 PM UTC·3 min readNorway's Martin Løwstrøm Nyenget stunned compatriot and five-times champion Johannes Høsflot Klæbo to win the World Cup cross-country ski season opener in Finland's Ruka on Friday.
The 33-year-old edged the 10 kilometre classic style race with interval starts, prevailing by 2.1 seconds from his team-mate, who had looked to have sealed victory among the earlier finishers.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAustrian Mika Vermeulen was third at +4.2.
Vermeulen said: "I trained like a horse all summer."
Nyenget won just his sixth World Cup race of a long career and did it in falling snow. He also triumphed in the same Ruka race in 2023.
There were six Norwegians in the top 10 as the Nordic ski powerhouse eyes February's Winter Games in Milan/Cortina. Klæbo has the Games firmly in his sights this season as he bids to extend his tally of five Olympic golds. Nyenget has none.
Sweden's Frida Karlsson won the women's season-opening race over the same distance in the Finnish resort.
The 2023 Tour de Ski winner was 10.5 seconds ahead of Norwegian Heidi Weng. Swede Moa Ilar finished third.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I've had a lot of faith," Karlsson said after her 13th World Cup success. "It's nice to feel like I'm in the right way."
Defending World Cup champion Jessie Diggins was only fifth as she begins her final season before retirement.
"Just going out there having a lot of fun," beamed the American, who said she was "super happy" with the result despite missing the podium.
Norwegian cross country ski star Therese Johaug, who came out of retirement to compete last season, is not returning after becoming pregnant.
The men's Nordic combined season also started in the Ruka snow on Friday, with Austrian Thomas Rettenegger leading after a normal hill jump ahead of a 7.5km cross-country race.
German World Cup defending champion Vinzenz Geiger was missing due to a foot injury.
There is women's ski-jumping in Falun, Sweden, too.
Norway's Martin Loewstroem Nyenget celebrates after winning the men's cross-country skiing 10km classic style competition at the FIS World Cup Ruka Nordic in Kuusamo. Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva/dpa
(L-R) Norway's Second-placed Heidi Weng, Sweden's winner Frida Karlsson and Sweden's third-placed Moa Ilar celebrate on the podium after the women's cross-country skiing 10km classic style competition at the FIS World Cup Ruka Nordic in Kuusamo. Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva/dpa
Sweden's Frida Karlsson celebrates on the podium after winning the women's cross-country skiing 10km classic style competition at the FIS World Cup Ruka Nordic in Kuusamo. Vesa Moilanen/Lehtikuva/dpaAdvertisementAdvertisement
