Geiger makes it two wins from two after frantic finish in Nordic Combined World Cup

Vinzenz Geiger made it two wins in two days in the Nordic Combined World Cup as the German took top spot for the second successive event in Ramsau.

The 23-year-old ran the perfect race once again in Austria, as he made up a 13.6 second gap on Jarl Magnus Riiber on the snow, as the Norwegian led the field after morning’s jumps.

The pair had gone head-to-head just a day before, with Geiger taking the victory by less than a second, and it was just as close again in the second race of the weekend, just 0.2s separating the two on the line.

The German became the first man to claim a double victory in Ramsau since Mario Stecher in 2010 with the win, and was elated after another sensational day on the snow.

“It was another brilliant day. The jump was a bit better than yesterday, the starting situation was perfect for me,” Geiger said.

Akito Watabe was the man pressuring Riiber in the early stages, with the Japanese competitor just 0.4s behind after the first 2km, although he soon faded away as the race progressed.

Home favourite Johannes Lamparter then took the lead as the race reached the halfway point, with compatriot Lukas Greiderer hot on his wheels, as Riiber and Geiger waited patiently in the wings.

As the race wore on, it became clear who the contenders for the victory were, with Lamparter falling away as the race reached its climax as the German and Austrian remained glued together with the finishing line in sight.

Alas, it was Geiger who stuck his ski out the furthest on the line to claim the win, with Riiber missing out by a whisker for the second time of the weekend.

Fellow German Fabian Reissle rounded off the podium in third, as Lamparter couldn’t keep his momentum up in the closing stages, eventually finish 11 seconds behind in fifth.

The result in Ramsau sees Geiger climb into third place in the overall standings on 251 points, moving ahead of Reissle and Jens Luraas Oftebro – who finished tenth in Austria – who sit on 236.

Riiber continues to lead the way with 360 points to his name, with Lamparter his nearest challenger some 95 points further back.

Sportsbeat 2020