Five frontrunners as the Viessmann World Cup heads to Lake Placid

Winterberg (RWH) There are currently five leading lugers in the Viessmann World Cup standings ahead of the second round of the season in Lake Placid, NY. This quirk is due to the fact that Dajana Eitberger and Natalie Geisenberger (both GER) share the lead on 170 points apiece after the season-opening Viessmann World Cup and BMW Sprint World Cup in Winterberg (GER). In the men’s event, Johannes Ludwig (GER) leads by a slender margin on 170 points, while Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken (GER) hold a commanding lead in the men’s doubles event with a maximum score of 200.

According to Germany’s head coach Norbert Loch, his team is full of confidence ahead of the journey to the two-time Olympic host city of Lake Placid. The third races of the season in the three disciplines will take place on the artificial ice track at Mount Van Hoevenberg on Friday and Saturday. The Viessmann Team Relay World Cup presented by BMW will also put in an appearance for the first time this season.

The Lake Placid track frequently turns out to be a thorn in the side for the German team. Last year, the US women managed an historic triple crown. Apart from last year’s winner Erin Hamlin, who took a surprise World Championship gold in Lake Placid, NY, in 2009, the other female lugers Summer Britcher, Emily Sweeney, and Raychel Germaine are all carrying injuries and are not 100% fit. Austria’s Birgit Platzer took second in the BMW Sprint World Cup, which was first podium finish for the red, white and red squad since February 2009, when Veronika Halder clinched third in Calgary.

In the men’s event, US hopes rest with Chris Mazdzer and Tucker West, both of whom have won races in the past two seasons. Felix Loch claimed World Championship gold in Lake Placid, NY, in 2009, but a Viessmann World Cup win in the host city of the 1932 and 1980 Olympics continues to elude him.

In the men’s doubles event, coach Loch’s protégés will be hard to beat in Lake Placid. Winterberg saw Germany’s first clean sweep since Oberhof, Germany, 2010, when the three duos André Florschuetz/Torsten Wustlich, Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt and Patric Leitner/Alexander Resch stood on the podium in that order. Wendl/Arlt are still active competitors, and the other main players in the doubles are Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken, and Robin Geueke/David Gamm, who claimed fourth in Lake Placid last year.