Rydzek hits ten after Frenzel's Nordic combined stutter
BySportsbeat
Published 22/01/2017 at 11:27 GMT
Johannes Rydzek became the fourth German to hit ten Nordic Combined World Cup victories after taking the spoils in Chaux-Neuve, as Eric Frenzel was left to rue a broken pole in the final assault.
Eurosport
Image credit: Eurosport
Rydzek had been 12th after only scoring 120.3 points in the jump, but made light work of the 75-second disadvantage to finish 2.8 seconds clear of compatriot Fabian Riessle after the cross country phase.
And top-seven finishes in each discipline meant consistency was key for Akito Watabe, with the Japanese skier taking the final spot on the podium.
That came after a disastrous final run for Frenzel, battling for top spot with Rydzek until a damaged ski hindered his chances, forcing him to settle for fourth having sat a place higher after the jump.
And there was also disappointment for Jarl Riiber, unable to make the most of his 112 metres from gate 13, finishing 35th in the cross country and 15th overall.
But despite Rydzek's effort, it wasn't enough to topple Frenzel atop the World Cup standings, 34 points adrift of his fellow German who sits on 884. Riessle rounds off a national top three in the overall table.
Third-placed Watabe said: "I'm really satisfied with the race, something unlucky happened with Eric and I was lucky to be on the podium, but I'm feeling better than last year.
"My shape is getting better and I'm looking forward to more racing."
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