Calle Halfvarsson is tenth overall in the Tour de Ski, with only 35 seconds up the podium.
With three stages, he sees the finish positively.
- If I do a good sprint tomorrow and make it to the final and then do a good mass start race the next day, I have a very good chance of making it to the podium in this tour, he says.
On Sunday, nine kilometers, the last of which are up a slalom hill, apply.
That doesn't scare Halfvarsson.
- Usually people think that it is the hardest thing we do, but I would still say that there are races that are significantly harder than this.
It's quite a short race, really.
You are numb in your legs when you go up the hill.
But once you're there on the slopes, it's no more difficult than many other competitions.
A five mile run at a very fast pace is more difficult.
He has also learned how to tackle the hill.
- Many times I have thought that I should take it easy at the beginning and then gradually get started on the hill, but I think you should be involved in the beginning.
The times it has gone the best, I have driven quite hard at the beginning of the hill.
Once you get up to the slope, there is not much to do.
Then it's a walk.
You just step and it's the same for everyone, he says.
The Tour de Ski continues with a sprint tomorrow and then a 15 kilometer classic on Saturday and the climb on Sunday.