Berchtesgaden (pps) Germany’s World Cup title holders Patric Leitner and Alexander Resch have been forced to withdraw from the Viessmann Luge World Cup events at Lake Placid, USA, and Calgary, Canada, as well as from the training week on the World Championship track at Park City, USA.

After his crash in the final training at Sigulda, Latvia, Patric Leitner had the bursa removed from his injured elbow at the University Hospital in Munich. The head physician of the German Federation, Dr. Volker Jaegemann, reckons with a break of at least four weeks. The Olympic champions and three-time World champions will now return to the series at the Viessmann Luge World Cup at Koenigssee on January 5-6, 2005.