Germany’s Franziska Preuss, after losing the Yellow Bib yesterday rebounded with a stunning win in this afternoon’s Oslo Holmenkollen Women’s 12.5 km Mass Start in 38:23.8, regaining the top spot and clinching the big World Cup Total Score Crystal Globe. Preuss and France’s Lou Jeanmonnot, with a penalty each battled neck and neck until the final corner when Jeanmonnot fell and Preuss skied away to the win, taking the title, 1278 points to Jeanmonnot’s 1258.

After Jeanmonnot’s fall, Sweden’s Elvira Oeberg, with three penalties moved into second place, 3.3 seconds back. Jeanmonnot finished completely disheartened in third, 11.7 seconds back.

“Not the ending we wanted”

Preuss, with her first-ever Total Score title was quite stunned, emotional and fighting for words after the strange finish. “Right now, it is really emotional. I am really done mentally. It is a strange feeling right now. It was not the ending we wanted. But it was a really exciting race. We were both together in the last loop; it was crazy. It is hard to explain.”

“I did so much for this”

As for the importance of the big Crystal Globe to the teary-eyed 31-year-old veteran, “It means a lot to me. I did so much for this and be separated from all my family, especially during the winter…really hard. I think I need some more minutes to realize it.”

Blue Bib Title to Michelon

Jeanmonnot’s young teammates Oceane Michelon and Paula Botet, with three and two penalties, finished fourth and fifth in a close battle, 19 and 19.7 seconds back. Michelon’s fourth place gave her the Blue Bib (under 23) title over teammate Jeanne Richard who finished 15th. Slovakia’s Paulina Batovska Fialkova finished sixth for the second consecutive day, with three penalties, 24.3 seconds back

Holmenkollen was again at its best for the final women’s competition with sunny short-sleeve weather.

Photos: IBU/Nordnes, Manzoni, Nordic Focus