A big number of spectators and journalists watched the fifth World Cup Natural Track Luge race in the middle of Moscow (RUS). The current World Champions from Stein/Enns Wolfgang and Andreas Schopf (AUT) won the doubleseater race. The cousins showed a perfect performance on the short track, which is in the olympic areal of the olympic games from 1980. “Everything went as planed. We are really satisfied with our runs”, commented Wolfgang and Andreas Schopf. Now they are ex aequo with Armin and David Mair (ITA) on the first position of the World Cup ranking. Next week there will be the World Cup final in Hüttau, Austria.

The russian women could not be beaten today. Merely World Cup leader Sonja Steinacher from Italy reached nearly the same time as the russian acteurs. Journalists from tv- and radio-stations layed siege to the winner Ekaterina Lavrentjeva (RUS) after the women´s second run.

Due to the warm temperatures the track was in a very good condition. However, the athletes could not thank the russian track workers. They had to thank the FIL-officials Herbert Wurzer, Josef Ploner and Anton Gabaldo who preserved the track on Friday.

Results Women:
1. Ekaterina LAVRENTJEVA (RUS) 38.43 (1) 38.77 (2) 1:17.20
2. Ljubov PANJUTINA (RUS) 38.84 (3) 38.39 (1) 1:17.23
3. Sonja STEINACHER (ITA) 38.67 (2) 39.07 (4) 1:17.74
4. Julia VETLOVA (RUS) 39.39 (4) 38.98 (3) 1:18.37
5. Sandra MARINER (AUT) 39.59 (5) 39.12 (5) 1:18.71
6. Sabine KOGLER (AUT) 39.60 (6) 39.18 (6) 1:18.78

World Cup Ranking after five races (of six):
1. Sonja STEINACHER (ITA) 330 Punkte
2. Ekaterina LAVRENTJEVA (RUS) 325
3, Sandra MARINER (AUT) 310
4. Marlies WAGNER (AUT) 242
5. Ljubov PANJUTINA (RUS) 234
6. Sabine KOGLER (AUT) 197

Results Men´s Doublseater:
1. Wolfgang SCHOPF/Andreas SCHOPF 41.51 (5) 39.83 (1) 1:21.34
2. G. KLEINHOFER/G. MÜHLBACHER (AUT) 41.29 (3) 40.28 (2) 1:21.57
3. Denis ALIMOV/Roman MOLVISTOV (RUS) 41.03 (2) 40:77 (3) 1:21.80
4. Armin MAIR/David MAIR (ITA) 41.00 (1) 41.22 (4) 1:22.22
5. Eugeni JAKUHIN/Sergei GARIPOV (RUS) 41.38 (4) 41:31 (6) 1:22:69
6. Eddy PERRIN/Emanuele GIANELLI (ITA) 42:08 (7) 41:25 (5) 1:23:33

World Cup Ranking after five races (of six):
1. Armin MAIR/David MAIR (ITA) 285 Punkte
1. Wolfgang SCHOPF/Andreas SCHOPF (AUT) 285
3. Reinhard BEER/Herbert KÖGL (AUT) 240
4. Peter LECHNER/Peter BRAUNEGGER 230
5. Eddy PERRIN/Emanuele GIANELLI (ITA) 180
6. Andrzej LASZCZAK/Damian WANICZEK (POL) 156

Blue sky and sunshine lured more than 2000 spectators in the olympic area of Moscow who watched the today´s decision of the fifth World Cup Natural Track Luge. There was a huge program beside the two runs of the men´s oneseaters: a mountainbike trail, a children´s ski race and a snowboard race.

Todays winner of the fifth decision in Natural Track Luge World Cup is Gerhard Pilz (AUT) from Upper Austria. He won both runs in a very impressive way. “It is a nice feeling to win in front of that number of specators. The track was in a quite good condition. However, it was very short, so you must not make any mistakes to win”, commented Gerhard Pilz. One week before the World Cup final in Hüttau (AUT) Gerhard Pilz is the leader in die World Cup ranking in front of Anton Blasbichler (ITA), and the World Cup winner of the last year Ferdinand Hirzegger (AUT). “This victory was a very important priliminary decision for the World Cup”, said Pilz who never won this cup before.

Robert Batkowski (AUT) gained the second position. His second run was well done, so he improved from the fourth place to the podest. “The track was very short. You could not win but only lose time on this track. Nevertheless, I got on the track in Moscow quite well”, told Robert Batkowski. The young Marcus Grausam (GER) reached his best World Cup result since ever. After the first run he was on the third place. After a problem in the first curve of the course he classified himself on the fourth place.


Results Men (27 athletes):
1. Gerhard PILZ (AUT) 36.73 (1), 36.60 (1), 1:13.33
2. Robert BATKOWSKI (AUT) 36.93 (4), 36.71 (2), 1:13.64
3. Anton BLASBICHLER (ITA) 36.80 (2), 37.21 (5), 1:14,01
4. Marcus GRAUSAM (GER) 36.82 (3), 37.43 (9), 1:14.25
5. Gerhard KALLAN (AUT) 37.27 (6), 37.11 (4), 1:14.38
6. Ferdinand HIRZEGGER (AUT) 37.33 (7), 37.08 (3), 1:14.41
7. Gernot SCHWAB (AUT) 37.10 (5), 37.36 (8), 1:14.46
8. Martin GRUBER (ITA) 37.53 (9), 37.31 (7), 1:14.84
19. John GIBSON (CAN) 40.78 (19), 40.28 (20), 1:21.06
22. Tom POWER (CAN) 43.68 (22), 54.91 (24), 1:38.59


World Cup Ranking after five races (of six):
1. Gerhard PILZ (AUT) 315 Punkte
2. Anton BLASBICHLER (ITA) 290
3. Ferdinand HIRZEGGER (AUT) 275
4. Robert BATKOWSKI (AUT) 239
5. Reinhard GRUBER (ITA) 209
6. Gerhard KALLAN (AUT) 206
20. John GIBSON (CAN) 72
26. Andrew KOLODY (CAN) 44
27. Wolfgang BRETTNER (CAN) 39
34. Tom POWER (CAN) 25


Chris Karl / Michael Unverdorben
FIL Media Service