Geiger Wins Mass Start: DSV Combined Team Rocks Ruka

Geiger Wins Mass Start: DSV Combined Team Rocks Ruka

What a weekend for the German combined team: In every event in Ruka, they stood on the podium. In the mass start, DSV athlete Vinzenz Geiger secured yet another victory for Germany, earning the yellow jersey. Manuel Faißt fought his way from sixth to third place.

In contrast to the traditional Gundersen competitions in Nordic combined, the mass start features skiing first, followed by jumping. The time deficits are converted into points. After the 10 kilometers in the mass start, Julian Schmid, Vinzenz Geiger, and Johannes Rydzek led the way for DSV.

A good jump is particularly crucial in the mass start compared to the Gundersen competition. "The mass start is by far the most jump-heavy competition - and this is at the large hill. After the cross-country segment, there are not the big gaps," Geiger explained on ZDF.

The competition was tight, with the victory determined in the final sprint. The lead over other contenders like Jarl Magnus Riiber or Johannes Lamparter before jumping was marginal.

Riiber was dethroned again. The better jumpers had the advantage. Last year, Riiber won the mass start in Ruka convincingly, setting an incredible hill record of 153.5 meters. After the race, the dominant figure of recent years finished tenth, achieving a solid jump of 134.5 meters, but it wasn’t enough to reach the front.

In contrast, Vinzenz Geiger jumped 133.5 meters and took the lead from Riiber. What about Schmid? He managed 130.5 meters, dropping to fifth place. Rydzek, who had impressed the day before with a jump of 142 meters, also missed the podium after 128.5 meters. Meanwhile, Manuel Faißt excelled with a top jump of 132 meters, moving from sixth to third.

With this victory, Geiger also takes home the yellow jersey. "You couldn't wish for anything better. That we also finish with the victory in the mass start is simply fantastic. I am really excited about the guys," said head coach Eric Frenzel on ZDF.

Impressive DSV Record at Season Start

The season opener has been nothing short of perfect for the German combiners: In each of the three events, a DSV athlete stood on the podium. The day before, Johannes Rydzek celebrated his first World Cup win in nearly six years, joined by Geiger and Schmid on the podium. The dismal winter of the previous year, during which the combiners faced a winless season for the first time in 25 years and only achieved three third places, appears to be a distant memory this early in the season.