Kershaw wins 4th medal on Tour de Ski
Canadian sits in fourth overall with one race to go
Devon Kershaw's entrance onto the world cross-country stage continued Saturday.
The 28-year-old Sudbury native finished third in the penultimate event of the Tour de Ski competition, held in Val di Fiemme, Italy, and is now fourth in the overall standings.
Teammate Alex Harvey, of St-Ferreol-les-Nieges, Que., was fifth and is now seventh overall with just Sunday's race remaining.
Norway's Petter Northug, Jr. won the seventh stage in a time of 57:17.2 for the 20-km classic style race, with overall tour leader Dario Cologna, of Switzerland, second.
Ivan Babikov, of Canmore, Alta., was 27th.
This was Kershaw's fourth podium of the Tour, including his first World Cup victory, and it's left him ready for more.
"Four podiums is unbelievable," said Kershaw, who is five seconds back of overall bronze. "I'm still fired up. I raced my best again and I finished on the podium.
"I always dreamed of being on the World Cup podium and winning a World Cup race, so to be a part of it is amazing."
Kershaw and Harvey stayed with the pack all through Saturday's race and as it approached the end there were 10 skiers still at the front.
Win by a whisker at the finish line
Everyone took off for the line and Kershaw just got his ski tip over in a photo finish for the bronze.
After starting nine days ago with a silver medal in a 15-km classic, Kershaw has since had another silver the next day in a classic sprint, and his historic victory in a skate-sprint.
He now has seven career medals at the head of a team that is turning heads in Europe.
"I'm still shocked," Kershaw said in an interview with Mihira Lakshman of CBC Sports. "To have one World Cup podium this year would have been a goal achieved — and to have four, it's unbelievable.
"We have a great group of people that care about the sport of cross-country skiing and it's paying off."
Sunday's race is a nine-kilometre slog up an alpine ski run in Val di Fiemme.
"It's really a unique race — you ski up an Alpine ski run," Kershaw told Lakshman. "I'm not really suited for it. It's the only race of its kind on the World Cup circuit all year. Ivan Babikov is the guy to watch."
Babikov won the final leg last year and was fifth overall.