DEUTSCHNOFEN. The GRM Group Luge World Cup on Natural Track is slowly coming to an end: Only two more events will be held before the World Cup Champions of 2016/2017 are determined. From January 27th to 29th, the athletes will have the penultimate opportunity to gain points for the overall standings at the GRM Group Luge World Cup in Deutschnofen (ITA). The races in South Tyrol are at the same time the last tests before the World Championships from February 3rd to 5th in Vatra Dornei (ROU).
The fight for this season’s World Cup is an exciting one: At the men’s overall standings, for instance, only ten points separate the two leading athletes, Thomas Kammerlander (AUT) and Patrick Pigneter (ITA). Pigneter fell behind the Austrian after the races of the GRM Group Luge World Cup in Moscow (RUS), but now, after his triumph in Slovenia last weekend, the Italian was able to regain lost ground and shorten the gap to Kammerlander. Alex Gruber, another Italian, ranks third. Gruber, who won the last year’s race in Deutschnofen, has to win this year’s too, if he wants to keep pace with Pigneter and Kammerlander. But his two competitors will surely do everything they can to prevent him from winning once again in South Tyrol – especially Kammerlander, who wants to gain as much points as possible before the World Cup final at his home track in Umhausen (AUT).
At the women’s overall standings, Evelin Lanthaler (ITA) is still in the lead, followed by her compatriot Greta Pinggera with a gap of 45 points. Due to her victory in Slovenia, Pinggera was able not only to outpace former runner-up Tina Unterberger (AUT) but also to move closer to Lanthaler. Unterberger, in turn, who had a good start in this season, has 15 points less than Pinggera and ranks third in the overall standings. If she wants to stay in touch with the Italians, she has to do better than last year in Deutschnofen, when she came in fifth. But Lanthaler, Pinggera, and Sara Bachmann (ITA), who dominated the race in Deutschnofen last season, definitely won’t make it easy for her.
At the doubles’, it’s also a very close race: Due to their victory in Slovenia, Patrick Pigneter/Florian Clara (ITA) were able to expand their lead in the overall standings with a total of 405 points. But the Russian pairings Aleksandr Egorov/Petr Popov (RUS) and especially Pavel Porshnev/Ivan Lazarev (RUS) come close behind. Porshnev/Lazarev had a great season so far – aside from the Pursuit race in Moscow, they were able to reach the podium in every race and now rank second in the doubles’ overall standings with a gap of only 20 points behind Pigneter/Clara. Their compatriots Egorov/Popov rank third with 340 points. Insofar, everything is set for thrilling races in Deutschnofen.
Program
Friday, 27.1.2017:
09.00 1. training run men, women
11.00 2. training run men, women
13.00 1. training run doubles
13.45 2. training run doubles, afterwards team captain’s meeting in the finishing area
19.00 official opening ceremony with athletes and guests of honour
21.00 party in the marquee with Melissa Naschenweng & Dj El Paso
Saturday, 28.1.2017:
10.00 qualification run men
11.15 qualification run women
12.00 qualification run doubles, afterwards team captain’s meeting in the finishing area
12.00 end of registration for team competition
13.00 final run doubles, afterwards flower ceremony
13.45 award ceremony Nation’s Cup men, women and doubles
award ceremony doubles
16.00 „Preiswatten“
19.00 Freerunning & Parcours show
21.00 party in the marquee with „Stodlgang“
Sunday, 29.1.2017:
10.00 breakfast in the marquee with „Südwind“
„MILA Bergmilch Schaubutterei“ show
10.30 final run women, afterwards flower ceremony
11.10 final run men, afterwards flower ceremony
13.00 team competition, afterwards flower ceremony
13.45 award ceremony men, women, team in the finishing area
closing ceremony
