CANMORE, Alta. – The theme of Alex Harvey’s day was fourth Friday. The Canadian cross-country ski star was more than satisfied with it.

Harvey finished one spot off the podium in the Ski Tour Canada’s 15-kilometre interval start — a time trial with each skier racing against the clock.

The 27-year-old from Saint-Ferreol-Les-Neiges, Que., also stayed fourth overall in the tour which concludes Saturday in Canmore, Alta., with an eighth race in 12 days.

The men’s and women’s pursuit races at the Canmore Nordic Centre will also be the last of this World Cup season.

Harvey posted the second-fastest time when he crossed the line Friday in front of 5,000 spectators, but later starters Matti Heikkinen of Finland and Marcus Hellner of Sweden bumped him from the podium.

A mountain course at 1,400 metres altitude on sun-softened snow combined to push all the skiers into the red Friday. The Nordic Centre may be the training centre for the Canadian team, but they don’t necessarily love racing its punishing courses.

“I think it’s one of the best races of my life here,” Harvey said between bites of an energy bar. “Canmore has actually been really hard for me in the past. It’s a really steep course and the altitude. I’ve struggled a lot in my life at altitude.

“I never thought I was going to be able to be strong internationally on a course like this. Today, I’m fourth so anything is possible really.”

Heikkinen took gold, Russia’s Evgeniy Belov silver and Hellner bronze. Harvey, who earned a sprint silver in Quebec City last week, was 7.8 seconds back of Hellner.

The tour’s frontrunners finished outside the medals, but retained their rankings Friday. Overall leader Sergey Ustiugov of Russia was 12th, No. 2 Petter Northaug Jr. of Norway was eighth and No. 3 Martin Johnsrud Sundby of Norway placed sixth.

Norwegian women continued their domination with Ingvid Flugstag Oestberg taking gold in the women’s 10k. Teammate and overall women’s tour leader Heidi Weng finished 23 seconds back in second.

Norway has swept the women’s podium in four of seven Ski Tour Canada races and took gold in all but one. Finland’s Krista Parmakoski prevented another sweep Friday finishing third.

Emily Nishikawa of Whitehorse was the top Canadian woman in 35th.

Success in stage racing is a mark of exceptional fitness, durability and consistency. Harvey wanted a top-three finish in the Ski Tour Canada for those reasons.

Barring a collapse by Sundby, Harvey won’t be able to catch the Norwegian a minute and a half ahead of him in third. The Canadian re-set his objectives to defending his position.

“That’s the goal, to stay top-five now,” Harvey said.

His coach would like to see Harvey cap the tour with another individual race medal Saturday.

“I want the podium tomorrow,” Canadian head coach Justin Wadsworth said. “It would be for sure the best way to end the season. I think Alex really deserves it. He’s been working hard this year.”

Ivan Babikov of Canmore was 10th and Devon Kershaw of Sudbury, Ont., placed 20th in a field of 53 men. Eighty-six men started the tour March 1 in Montreal.

Saturday’s closing ceremonies will be lengthy as race medallists, Ski Tour Canada medallists and overall World Cup champions will all receive their trophies.

The crystal globes that go to the World Cup champions will be hoisted outside of Europe for the first time in history.