Cesana-Pariol (pps) They competed in the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino in order to achieve a medal. In the end, they had to settle for a frustrating fifth and sixth place. We are talking about the two most outstanding doubles’ teams of the past years, namely Christian Oberstolz-Patrick Gruber of Italy and Patric Leitner-Alexander Resch of Germany. The duel between those two teams in the double-seater will again be in the centre of attraction at the FIL European Championships in Cesana-Pariol.

„We have made peace with this track“, commented Patrick Gruber last year’s victory in the Viessmann Luge World Cup. And prior to the upcoming duel of the everlasting rivals he explains: “Only in Calgary and Koenigssee Leitner-Resch are virtually undefeatable.” Their German contenders are well aware of the outstanding driving skills of Oberstolz-Gruber: “They have an amazing sense of rhythm. They are our strongest contenders not only at the European Championships but also at the Worlds in Oberhof”, said Patric Leitner.

In the light of the high level of performance in the doubles’ events, another half a dozen teams might well grab a medal. Such as, for instance, Olympic champions Andreas Linger-Wolfgang Linger of Austria who won the event in Lake Placid, their compatriots and World runners-up Tobias Schiegl-Markus Schiegl, Olympic bronze medallists Gerhard Plankensteiner-Oswald Haselrieder of Italy, Olympic silver medallists André Florschuetz-Torsten Wustlich of Germany and last but not least the young German talents Tobias Wendl-Tobias Arlt who took a second place in Koenigssee, their best World Cup result in their still young luge career.