Natalie Geisenberger, Loch and Eggert/Benecken all with a healthy lead

Calgary (RWH) The front-runners in the Viessmann World Cup travel to the first flyaway race of the season in Calgary, Canada, with a healthy lead in the overall standings. Natalie Geisenberger (GER) currently holds the yellow jersey in the women’s event courtesy of a 70-point advantage over her nearest rival. Her teammate Felix Loch already has a commanding 99-point cushion between himself and Semen Pavlichenko (RUS) in second. In the doubles, the defending champions Toni Eggert/Sascha Benecken (GER) have a healthy 70-point buffer.

“After six weeks away from home I’m looking forward to my home race in Calgary,” Alex Gough said. Her journey has taken her from the Olympic training week in PyeongChang (KOR) to Innsbruck (AUT), Winterberg and Altenberg (GER) and now to hist City of the Olympic Winter Games of 1988. Gough, who claimed bronze medals in both the 2011 and 2013 World Championships, currently lies seventh overall on 198 points. Ahead of Gough, who finished fourth in the Sochi Olympics, are the four German ladies Natalie Geisenberger, Tatyana Hüfner, Dajana Eitberger and Julia Taubitz, along with the two US lugers Emily Sweeney and Summer Britcher.

After four of the 13 races in the Viessmann World Cup scheduled for this Olympic winter, Felix Loch leads the overall standings in the men’s event with 355 points ahead of Russia’s Semen Pavlichenko. World Champion Wolfgang Kindl has moved up to third place. The Austrian finished fifth in Altenberg and currently has 237 points.

The doubles standings are dominated by the German duos. Eggert/Benecken are currently on top ahead of Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt (315) and Robin Geueke/David Gamm (236).

Going into the third round of the Viessmann Team Relay World Cup presented by BMW, Germany leads with a perfect score of 200. Second place is held by Canada (145) ahead of Austria (135).