Geiger pips Riiber in Gundersen sprint finish to cut gap in title race

Vinzenz Geiger (GER) kept alive his hopes of denying Jarl Magnus Riiber (NOR) a record sixth overall Viessmann FIS Nordic Combined World Cup title by winning Saturday’s large hill Gundersen in Oslo to claim his seventh individual victory of the season.

Geiger outsprinted Riiber in another thrilling cross-country duel between the two Crystal Globe contenders after a four-way fight at the front also featuring Austrian duo Johannes Lamparter and Franz-Josef Rehrl.

Riiber had started a mere five seconds ahead of Geiger and six in front of Lamparter, and the lead continually changed hands between the trio before Riiber and Geiger broke clear in the final 500m.

The five-time champion made his move on the final uphill section but Geiger nipped through on the inside as they rounded the final turn and just managed to hold off the Norwegian star, winning by 1.2 seconds with Lamparter taking the final spot on the podium, 7.3 seconds adrift, and Rehrl coming home fourth.

Geiger, who trailed Riiber by 81 points in the standings heading into the weekend, cut his deficit to 71 ahead of Sunday’s Compact event, with two more final competitions in Lahti (FIN) next weekend.

Riiber, who is retiring at the end of the season, dominated at the World Championships in Trondheim, with three golds and a bronze.

But this was Geiger’s fourth victory in five World Cup events as he sought to spoil the Norwegian’s final farewell to his home fans and take the fight for the overall title to Lahti.

Lamparter tried to inject some speed at the front with 2.5km to go but the quartet were still all together as they entered the final 1700m before Riiber and Geiger broke away in the frantic closing stages.

“I am very tired after the World Championships so to be back on the podium, I am very happy with that,” said Riiber.

Lamparter couldn’t quite sustain the pace to challenge for a second win of the season, but having missed out on an individual medal in Trondheim, was satisfied with a sixth World Cup podium this season, closing the gap on third-placed Julian Schmid in the overall standings.

“After a really disappointing last competition at the World Championships, it is good to be back on the podium,” he said. “I had a really good jump and an aggressive race, I just didn’t have the legs on the last uphill – the other two were too fast.”  

Earlier on the HS134 hill, Marius Solvik (NOR), the first athlete to go, set the benchmark with a 119.0m jump for 107.8 points.

The ageless Akito Watabe’s 126.5m jump took the lead with 112.7 points before Simen Tiller (NOR) soared out to 133.0m, earning 122.1 points.

“I don’t imagine anything other than jumping well these days,” said Tiller. “My self-confidence and self-belief is high.”  

Terence Weber (GER), winner of Friday’s PCR, produced another excellent jump of 126.0m (118.6 points) before compatriot Wendelin Thannheimer, who helped Germany to gold in the Men’s Team event in Trondheim, delivered a 130.5m effort for 121.1 points.

But as the leading overall contenders took to the hill, Rehrl ( below) flew another 0.5m further than Tiller, his jump of 133.5m (for 122.2 points) pipping Tiller by 0.1 points – or one second in the tracks.

A poor landing cost Ilkka Herola (FIN) more points after a 132.0m jump, but he was still one of 14 athletes within a minute of Riiber heading to the cross-country.

Herola later won a huge fight for fifth place, with Thannheimer, Johannes Rydzek (GER), Watabe, Kristjan Ilves (EST) and Schmid all within a second.

Lamparter’s Telemark landing at the end of his 133.0m effort briefly put the 2022-23 overall champion into the lead on 123.1 points, while Geiger matched Rehrl’s longest jump of the day – 133.5m - for 122.9 to start only a second further back.

As so often, Riiber took the win on the hill. Dropping down two start gates lower than everyone else from 19 to 17, he earned compensation points for his stylish 129.5 jump to tally 124.3 points.

But this time he couldn’t resist Geiger’s final surge in a thrilling cross-country duel.

Click here for full results from Saturday’s large hill Gundersen.