The German men’s relay team ran past the podium at the end of the home World Cup in Oberhof on Sunday (January 21, 2024). The decision was made after 4 x 7.5 kilometers in the crazy finish sprint.
National coach Peter Schlickenrieder was served. Shortly after the relay race he spoke about one on the ARD sports show “unacceptable place”. The German men’s relay team – with the established World Cup starters Janos Brugger, Florian Notz, Friedrich Moch and Lucas Bögl – only finished tenth. And somehow the coaching team made the wrong choice.
Bögl was chosen as the final runner. The 33-year-old has his strengths on the mountain and in endurance, but not in sprinting. And that was exactly what decided the relay race. “I’ll take it upon myself”said Bögl, who had previously tried to escape. His attempt to break away just under two kilometers from the finish failed, instead the competitors pulled up and Germany I finished last in the first leading group.
Norway secured victory. Final runner Johannes Kläbo overtook the Italian Federico Pellegrino in the sprint in the last meters and was 0.1 seconds faster. Norway II finished third.
Brugger with a difficult start
The German team always had its sights on the podium until the last kilometer. This fact in turn pleased Schlickenrieder, who wanted to pay more attention to the route and surface when setting up the relay in the future.
Starting runner Brugger fought to stay in touch on the icy route with the wind, which was really “tricky” (Brugger). Even if the pace was a bit too high at the end, the gap (10th place / + 14.7 seconds) was limited.
Florian Notz quickly closed the small gap that Brugger had given him and moved into the first leading group. When the Finn Iivo Niskanen pushed the pedal after a good 13 kilometers, only Norway could keep up. Notz had to let go and fought for third place in the group with Italy, France, Norway II and Canada, a good ten seconds behind the leaders.
Moch brings the German team back into position
However, the leading duo quickly felt the pressure of their pursuers on the third change. Tour runner-up Friedrich Moch was now on the road for Deutschland 1 and he put the pressure on. After a good three kilometers he moved into second place and cleverly let the Norwegian Pal Golberg play the railway. 2.5 kilometers before the change, model athlete Moch pulled up and tried to pick up the field by increasing the pace slightly. The plan to give final runner Bögl a small lead didn’t work because the competition was paying attention. Nine nations in the top group went on the final 7.5 km lap.
Friedrich Moch handed over in second place.
Bögl had to duel with the super sprinters Kläbo and Pellegrino, among others. He knew that he had no chance on the home straight and tried to open up the decisive gap beforehand. On the climb – 1.7 kilometers before the finish – Bögl tried to break away, moved to the front of the field, but couldn’t get away and had to pay tribute to the exhausting action: In the end, he had no chance in the final sprint and crossed ten seconds after Kläbo the finish line.
Convince youngsters of Germany II
Also nice: From a German perspective, the view of the future is rosy; the boring years seem to be over. In Oberhof, Germany II with the youngsters Jan Friedrich Doerks (SWV Goldlauter), Elias Keck (TSV Buchenberg), Jan Stölben (SLV Ernstberg) and Marius Kastner (Marktredwitz) sold themselves dearly and finished the season in eleventh place.
Doerks performed well in the young second German team. As the starting runner, he was even faster than Brugger and finished seventh, just 2.9 seconds behind the leader. Elias Keck also kept up very well in the first few kilometers, but had to give up something at the end of his 7.5 kilometers and sent Jan Stölben onto the track in eighth place (+23.8 seconds).
Morality fits, Sprint qualities miss
Because the pace in the third group wasn’t quite as fast at first and Stölben had perfect legs, the German youngster ran up again and was part of the top group of the best twelve nations. Ironically, Moch’s increased pace meant that Stölben also had to let something go and sent final runner Kastner into the lane 21.4 seconds behind the lead.
The 21-year-old benefited from the fact that the top players were strolling. He managed to catch up with the big leading group. When things went off at the front, Kastner couldn’t keep up either. He crossed the finish line in eleventh place, 42.9 seconds after winner Norway.