COC-M: Vermeulen wins with outstanding race

Already the jumping round promised that Saturday’s Continental Cup in Eisenerz would be an exciting race. In the end it was Norway’s Harald Johnas Riiber, who once again was ahead of the whole field with a jump on 110m – this time together with his teammate Sindre Ure Soetvik, who got the very same points as Riiber with a jump to 108.5m. Third was yet another Norwegian; Espen Bjoernstad.

These three Norwegians also led the field the first three laps of the race, trying to fend off their pursuers. In the fourth and last lap, however, the very strong cross-country skiers Mikko Kokslien (21.), Mika Vermeulen (30.) and Thomas Jöbstl (24.), together with the Norwegian youngster Jens Luraas Oftebro (9.), were able to catch the leading group, what promised an exciting finish.

Kokslien, Vermeulen and Jöbstl had to push hard during the whole race to close the gap to the guys in front and in the end it was Vermeulen, being the most energetic won and taking his first ever Continental Cup win ahead of Kokslien, Bjoernstad and Oftebro.

With his 5th place, Jöbstl was able to take over the green bib for the overall leader from his teammmate Martin Fritz. The sixth place went to Harald Riiber, the seventh to Sindre Ure Soetvik, Bernhard Flaschberger was eighth, and Martin Hahn and Jan Vytrval completed the Top Ten.