Geiger claims back-to-back victories in Ramsau am Dachstein
Dec 20, 2020·Nordic Combined
Vinzenz Geiger went two-for-two and pocketed the second victory in as many days at the Austrian venue of Ramsau am Dachstein. Again, he beat Jarl Magnus Riiber on the last metres of the race and only by 0.2 seconds in the end. Fabian Rießle completed a very successful day for Team Germany on rank 3. He crossed the finish line 5 seconds after his winning teammate.
With 98 metres, Jarl Magnus Riiber set the longest jump of the jumping round by a clear margin but as his landing was everything but clean, he only claimed a narrow lead of 6 seconds on runner-up Yoshito Watabe (JPN). Watabe jumped to 93.5 metres and 129-6 points, while his older brother Akito came in third with 94 metres and 128.8 points. He started his race three second after his brother.
The start list continued with only minimal gaps: Espen Bjørnstad was fourth and had a delay of 10 seconds, Ryota Yamamoto 11 seconds and Johannes Lamparter chased his second podium result with a delay of 14 seconds.
The biggest favourite for the win, however, was yesterday’s winner Vinzenz Geiger who only had to make up 15 seconds on Riiber today. Yesterday’s fellow podium athlete Lukas Greiderer followed with a delay of only 19 seconds and also Geiger’s fast teammates Eric Frenzel and Fabian Rießle had better chances to reach the top with start disadvantages of +0:33 and +0:34 seconds and formed a fast duo to watch in the race.
Today’s race did not disappoint with big groups, catch-up races and jostling for positions, as well as a spectacular finish line sprint.
On the first lap Yoshito Watabe, who had started the race from rank two, was not able to keep up with Riiber and his brother Akito and had to let go of them and Watabe and Riiber continued as a duo for some time on the first lap. The following group with Greiderer, Bjoernstad, Lamparter, Geiger and Yamamoto was able to reduce their disadvantage by a few seconds, while Rießle and Frenzel were getting closer from behind.
By the end of the second lap a new leading group had formed with young Austrian Lamparter doing a lot of the leading work in front, followed by Greiderer, Riiber, Geiger, Bjoernstad and Akito Watabe.
In the meantime, the pursuing group with the strong Germans Fabian Rießle and Eric Frenzel worked their way to the front but it was only strong cross-country skier Fabian Riessle who was able to join the leading foursome by the end of lap three.
On the last lap and maybe tired fom too much time in the lead, only 18-year-old Lamparter was not able to keep up his pace and had to concede defeat in the fight for the podium first. His teammate Lukas Greiderer held out a little more but ultimately, it was Riiber and Geiger, who were fighting head-to-head for the win.
On Ramsau’s hard uphill Geiger tried to outsprint Riiber, but was not able to get rid of the Norwegian, who had the faster skiers in the long downhill. In front again, Riiber gave it his all to keep up with yesterday’s winner on the final stretch but was ultimately defeated in a finish line sprint again. Riessle tried to follow the two but, after a minor tactical error in the final phase of the race, was not able to get close enough to them to put in a word for the win and claimed rank 3.
Greiderer and Lamparter finished on ranks four and five, Eric Frenzel and Manuel Faißt were a German duo on ranks six and seven and Espen Bjørnstad, Akito Watabe and Jens Lurås Oftebro closed out the Top Ten.
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