January 11, 2015 (Val di Fiemme, ITA) – We caught up with Liz Stephen from East Montpelier, Vermont, who made history on Sunday claiming 5th overall at the Tour de Ski, the best-ever US result. Stephen loves the Tour and has been making gains each year with a breakthrough result on Saturday in the women’s 10km CL Mst (read more here) that set up her massive performance on Alpe Cermis almost taking 4th overall (race coverage here). She’s had the 2nd and 3rd fastest times up Cermis and was 4th fastest this year. Stephen’s 7th last year was the best previous US result at the Tour and prior to that Kikkan Randall was 10th overall in 2012. For North Americans, Devon Kershaw (Can) holds the record with his 4th overall in 2012.

A big congrats on securing a historic finish at the Tour de Ski – were you nervous on the start line?
Liz Stephen: Actually I wasn’t. I had a set goal and plan and I was just ready to go try and achieve it.  I think a lot of my nerves come from the unknowns in a given race. Will there be a crash? How will that downhill ski? Will I have kick? What if I can’t keep up? Today is simple. There are no unknowns. There is a small loop of a course I know well, a long flat and a massive uphill climb that will hurt like hell and that’s about it. Straight forward, catch as many people as possible and know that at the end there will not be an ounce of energy left in any limb of your being.

Walk us thru your race – how were conditions and your skis ?
LS: My strategy is always to ski the flats on the way to the climb strong, but not to waste too much energy on that section, because there is plenty of climbing to come that will take care of any extra energy that you were able to conserve on the flats. It worked out really well for me today, as the group of girls who started just behind me caught me in the stadium and led for the entire flat section until we took the left hand turn to head up the Cermis. It could not have been better.

Once you hit the climb what was your plan… ?
LS: With the climb itself my strategy was to try and catch Ragnhild [Haga].  She started about 50 seconds ahead of me and I really wanted a fourth place today.  I think I may have gone a bit too hard in closing the gap to her, but I was feeling good at the bottom of the climb and up the first steep pitch.  But man, after just a year away, I forgot how steep that thing really is and I was not able to really drop her at any point. It made for, I would say, my best finishing fight ever and she was stronger than me up the last little pitch at the end. But what a fun day it was.

Tell us about your feelings crossing the line at Alpe Cermis in 5th.
LS: I had a goal of a top 5 going into the Tour this year so I am really happy with meeting that goal. Of course, we always want more as racers and athletes and having such a battle with Ragnhild for the climb and just missing out on 4th makes you question if you did all you could. But I did my best today, and I fought beyond what I have ever been able to mentally fight with in the past, so I am really happy with that.

How satisfying are yesterday’s and today’s results in your career ?
LS: Hugely. The classic day yesterday was a really big step for me and it has been a long, hard step to take, so for the confidence going forward in classic this was huge.

How will you celebrate…?
LS: A glass of wine with our coaches and techs tonight and then my birthday in Seiser Alm tomorrow!!!

Looks like one birthday present came early – all the best.
LS: Thanks