Rydzek in the top 5 for the first time
In the absence of some top athletes like Jarl Magnus Riiber, Johannes Rydzek celebrated half an Olympic standard in fifth (+ 30.7 seconds) – the Oberstdorf six-time world champion made it into the top five for the first time this winter -Qualification, he now has to run into the top 6 again.
Six Germans in the top 20
Fabian Rießle was tenth in cross-country skiing after 14th place (+ 54.3 seconds). Manuel Faißt came in 16th (+ 1: 02.3 minutes), Julian Schmid was 20th (+ 1: 50.2 minutes), Jakob Lange 37th (+ 3: 27.8 minutes).
Lamparter starts at a fast pace
Lamparter, who won the ski jumping on the normal hill in the morning with a distance of 105.5 meters, went into the cross-country ski run with a 14 second lead over the second-placed Frenzel. Although there was a chase group behind the Austrian, Lamparter pushed up the pace at the beginning. After the first of the four 2.5-kilometer laps in the Italian Dolomites, the lead increased to 16.2 seconds.
Persecutors disagree
The 20-year-old front runner was unable to maintain the high initial pace over the long term. The pursuers around Frenzel, Geiger, the Norwegian Jens Luraas Oftebro and the Austrian Mario Seidl Lamparter moved up to around eleven seconds for up to half of the race – and always had Lamparter in view. At 6.2 km, Frenzel was only 8.3 seconds behind the lead. But the pursuers did not agree on the tracking work. Lamparter extended his lead back to 12.0 seconds.
Lamparter with kissing hands across the finish line
Shortly before the 7.5 kilometer split, Frenzel left his group, followed shortly after by Geiger. At the very front, Lamparter was able to pull again, extended the lead again and ran to his first World Cup victory with kissing hands and extensive cheers. In the sprint of the pursuers, Geiger had the better legs. Frenzel missed his first World Cup victory since March 2018 again.
Weber, Riiber, Herola not at the start
Three top athletes were missing from the race in Fiemme, Italy: Terence Weber, the best German in the World Cup, stopped on Saturday after starting the mixed team premiere on Friday (07.01.2022). World Cup leader Jarl Magnus Riiber from Norway is absent due to back problems, and the best cross-country skier in the combined skier, Ilkka Herola from Finland, is also absent. The 26-year-old has to sit out after a positive corona test.
While Weber and Riiber are probably back at the start of the Gundersen competition on Sunday, Herola is completely absent on the weekend after his positive test on January 1st.
Women’s mass start on Saturday
A mass start is on the program for the women on Saturday. Starting at 1.30 p.m., the 5-kilometer cross-country ski run starts at 6 p.m., followed by a floodlit jump from the normal hill.