Preview 2nd EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup in Altenberg (GER)
Altenberg FIL: The start of the EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup 2020/21 in Innsbruck-Igls was a perfect success. Exciting races, podium finishes for five different nations (GER, AUT, ITA, LAT, RUS) and top-6 finishes for seven nations (in the Team Relay Event Ukraine and Slovakia are added).
FIL Executive Director Christoph Schweiger, who will also serve as FIL Hygiene Officer this winter, summarized: "It is nice to see how the luge family is moving even closer together in this crisis - with the necessary social distancing rules. Everyone involved has behaved in a very disciplined way. The only thing we still have to streamline is the procedure for the Team Relay Award Ceremonies. The organizers in Innsbruck-Igls have done an outstanding job".
Next weekend the EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup 2020/21 will continue in Altenberg, Saxony, the second stop of the World Cup series. Training starts on Wednesday. The team of Romania will withdraw the team completely, because they have two cases of infection with Covid-19.
From January 10-12th, the last luge World Cup took place in Altenberg. At that time local hero Julia Taubitz, Olympic champion David Gleirscher (AUT), his team mates Thomas Steu / Lorenz Koller won the doubles and the Russian team won the relay with Tatyana Ivanova, Semen Pavlichenko and Denisev/Antonov. The sprint World Champions were missing at the World Cup opener in Innsbruck. The Russian team had not brought them to Austria due to a coronavirus infection.
Schedule for the 2nd EBERSPÄCHER Luge World Cup
in Altenberg (GER), local time zone CET
Friday, 04.12.2020
09:00 a.m. Nations Cup
14:30 p.m. Training seeded group
Saturday, 05.12.2020
09:25 a.m. Doubles
12:15 p.m. Ladies
Sunday, 06.12.2020
09:35 a.m. Men’s singles
13:15 p.m. Team Relay
Further information, results, TV times under the following link:
https://www.fil-luge.org/en/multimedia/eberspaecher-world-cup
Quotes:
Team Latvia:
Kristaps Maurins, Team manager and coach team Latvia: "We started our season in Igls much better than last year, so we are more or less satisfied with the first World Cup of the season. In Altenberg, we need to improve our performance, so we can fight for medals in each discipline! This is our main goal for the World Cup this weekend!"
Team Germany:
Felix Loch: "I love sliding in Altenberg incredibly, it's always worth a trip for me. The track in Altenberg is tailor-made for me. I am looking forward to it."
Julia Taubitz: "You can see that we all have the chance to ride in front. All in all, after the three victories at the opener in Igls, a big load fell off. I am very happy about the successes. I knew that when Natalie and Dajana came back, they wouldn't race for places in the back. They did it really well. Already at the start I said to the Geisi: "If I didn't know, I wouldn't believe that you had a child. They fought back really hard, you have to take your hat off. It's a lot of fun."
Natalie Geisenberger: "Altenberg is a track I like to ride on. There you have to fight more, I'm looking forward to it. I believe that we are a very, very good German women's team and we don't give each other anything. In Altenberg we will fight again and hopefully we will have a very close and exciting race again.”
"Despite all the hygiene regulations and coronavirus rules, I had fun with luge again. For me, everything is different this year anyway. Of course it's nicer with spectators at the track, we don't have to beat around the bush. On the other hand, the most important thing is that we can race. This means that a lot has been won for the sport and for us personally.”
Toni Eggert: "I think we have stabilized well this week in Igls, we have made almost everything out of the difficult conditions we had in the beginning. It is important that we can do two stable runs. There will be other tracks where we will be in a better position again. I am thinking about the World Championship in Königssee. If we're at the front of the pack at the start, then someone has to beat us first. That's why stable racing is particularly important.”
Sascha Benecken: "We're still a long way from 100 percent. Of course we still have some homework to do, but at least the weekend in Igls is something we can build on. Now Altenberg is coming, and we're attacking full force again.
Norbert Loch, Head coach Germany: "We showed especially in the men's event in the person of Felix with three victories, but also with Johannes, who was a bit unlucky in the sprint because his neck strip rope broke during the Sprint race. Both can be right at the top of the world. We will see a lot more in the next World Cup races.
"The ladies presented themselves impressively. A triple success was not to be expected. That Natalie and Dajana are fighting so confidently again. In Natalie, Julia has her biggest competitor. There is still a bit missing, but as Julia showed three great races in Igls, we don't have to be afraid in the ladies competitions. They will be very successful in many races this winter".
"In doubles - against strong Austrian competitptd - we were not able to compete for the victory.”
Quotes Team Austria:
Rene Friedl; Head coach and Sports director ÖRV:
"Despite the Covid cuts, we had a very good preparation program and are ready for the season, with two exceptions everyone is fit so far. Madeleine Egle is just as handicapped at the start due to her shoulder injury, which has not yet fully healed, as Reinhard Egger, whose back problems will unfortunately continue to accompany him. We want to have a say in the final count in the World Cup for the crystal balls in the doubles and men's singles.
Thomas Steu:
"The past nine months have not been easy, so the joy of being back in the World Cup is all the greater. We have worked very hard for this goal and will try to regain our old strength as quickly as possible. The material development has been very positive, the basic speed is already quite good, but we still have slight deficits at the start. We are happy that it is starting again, competitions are known to be the best training. You will see what it is enough for and what it still needs.
Madeleine Egle:
"After my shoulder injury (note: tear of the subscapularis tendon, cartilage damage, torn ligament), which I suffered in August, I had to reduce the start training to a minimum. During the ice training I concentrated on the technical aspects of driving and I have experienced a very positive development in this area. In the coming weeks, I will have to gradually improve my performance at the start. If I succeed, I am very confident for the rest of the race".
David Gleirscher:
"The trip to China was costly, but it definitely paid off. We had excellent ice conditions at the homologation of the Olympic track, in Europe the conditions were certainly worse at that time. I am satisfied with the preparation, my package is in place, I am looking forward to the tasks ahead".
Jonas Müller:
"I prefer technically demanding tracks. The competition is tough, it will definitely be a very exciting race weekend in Altenberg.
