Winterberg (pps) It was the 20th time that the Team Relay event was carried out within the Viessmann Luge World Cup series – setting a track record, the Italian squad with Sandra Gasparini, Dominik Fischnaller and Christian Oberstolz-Patrick Gruber claimed the victory on the bobsleigh and luge track Winterberg Hochsauerland. The US team with Kate Hansen, Tucker West and Christian Niccum-Jayson Terdiman finished in second position ahead of Austria’s team with Nina Reithmayer, Daniel Pfister and Peter Penz-Georg Fischler.

It was the first time after 15 events that the German team with Natalie Geisenberger, Chris Eißler and Tobias Wendl-Tobias Arlt did not claim a podium finish in the Team Relay. After Natalie Geisenberger botched the start, the German team had to make do with a ninth place result. It was at the season final in Sigulda (Latvia) in 2011-2012 – when Italy claimed the podium’s top spot - that the German team suffered its last defeat.

After two of six events, Italy (170 points) is in the lead of Overall Viessmann Team Relay, followed by USA (145) and Germany (139).