Vinzenz Geiger snaps Riiber’s winning streak in Ramsau
Dec 21, 2019·Nordic Combined
Vinzenz Geiger (GER) accomplished the almost unthinkable and bested Jarl Magnus Riiber in the first Individual Gundersen competition in Ramsau am Dachstein (AUT). After a courageaous race in heavy snowfall, the German crossed the finish line +1.6 seconds ahead of Riiber. Fabian Rießle (GER) kept his Ramsau success-streak alive with a third rank, +5.8 seconds behind Riiber.
Espen Bjørnstad took his maiden ski jumping victory in Ramsau with a jump of 96.5 metres and a point total of 123.4. He beat teammate Jarl Riiber soundly and started his race 32 seconds ahead of the World Cup leader. Riiber showed 93 metres and 115.5 points in rainy and overcast conditions. Local hero Franz-Josef Rehrl made the best out of his 92.5 metre jump and ranked third, +0:39 seconds behind Bjørnstad.
Youngster Jens Lurås Oftebro secured starting position four and a delay of +0:44. Behind him, the field was tightly packed. Lukas Greiderer, who won an Austria Cup event on the new track in Ramsau the previous weekend, had an excellent starting position and experience with the track to his name with ski jumping rank seven (+0:58).
Even though only eight athletes started within the first minute, the fast skiers were stacked together shortly after this mark. Ramsau-veteran Fabian Rießle and teammate Vinzenz Geiger were on the hunt for podium results again with time behinds of +1:04, and +1:06, Martin Fritz startet at +1:14, Antoine Gerard at +1:20 and Thomas Jöbstl at +1:30.PCR winner Jørgen Graabak did not have the strongest jump today with 87 metres (100.6 p.) but was part of a fast train of skiers at +1:31, together with Eric Frenzel +1:32 and Ilkka Herola +1:34.
Right on time for the start of the race, the rain changed to wet snowfall which got heavier and heavier during the race. The new cross-country track with two big uphills and technical downhill sections and turns was an extra challenge in demanding conditions.
Espen Bjørnstad skied alone in the lead for the first lap but Jarl Magnus Riiber had closed the gap by the halfway point of the race. Even though Riiber and Bjørnstad worked together well, they were not able to keep the fast pursuers off their backs for the entire duration of the race. With one more lap to go, five athletes had formed a group: Bjørnstad, Riiber, Rießle, Geiger and Greiderer.
Behind the leading group, another fast group worked their way to the front: Eric Frenzel, Jørgen Graabak and Ilkka Herola were ranked sixth, seventh and eighth with just a 10 second gap on the leading group at the 8.2 km intermediate time. While Bjørnstad and Greiderer had to let go on the second part of the lap, Vinzenz Geiger took the initiative and was rewarded. He entered the finish straight first and Jarl Riiber was not able to match the German’s pace into the finish. Rießle finished third.
For Geiger, this was the second World Cup victory of his career, Rießle increased his podium tally in Ramsau am Dachstein to nine. Eric Frenzel was the fastest skier of the race and improved from position 25 to a sensational fourth place, Manuel Faißt completed a great German result on rank nine. Norway had Espen Bjørnstad on rank five and Jørgen Graabak on position seven, Lukas Greiderer was best Austrian on rank six, teammate Thomas Jöbstl collected another Top Ten result on rank 10. Ilkka Herola completed the Top Ten on position eight.
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