World Champions Eggert/Benecken still a class apart 

 Altenberg (RWH) Toni Eggert and Sascha Benecken remain the men to beat in the Olympic winter season. At the Viessmann World Cup in Altenberg, the current World Champions saw off all rivals to claim their third victory of the 2017/2018 winter season. The two Oberhof men took their 29th career victory on the Altenberg ice track in the Eastern Ore Mountains ahead of the second-placed Austrians Peter Penz/Georg Fischler, who clinched World Championship bronze here back in 2012. Third place went to the German pairing of Robin Geueke/David Gamm, who finished just three thousandths of a second ahead of fourth-placed Olympic Champions Tobias Wendl/Tobias Arlt.

 The young Italian duo of Ivan Nagler/Fabian Malleier celebrated a career-best result as they secured sixth place behind the Latvians Oskars Gudramovics/Peteris Kalnins. The International Luge Federation (FIL) Junior World Championships will be held in Altenberg from 2-3 February 2018.  The Olympic Winter Games get underway in PyeongChang, Korea, just one week later from 9-25 February 2018.

 Ahead of the fourth round of the season on 8-9 December 2017 in Calgary, Canada, the overall standings of the Viessmann Luge World are headed by the three German duos – Eggert/Benecken (385), Wendl/Arlt (315), and Geueke/Gamm (236).

 Quotes

 Sascha Benecken (GER / 2017 World Champion, overall winner of the Viessmann World Cup in 2015 and 2017):

“We are beginning to see improvements. We still aren’t exactly where we want to be as we get closer to the Winter Games. We can still raise our game – both in terms of equipment and athletic performance. We have a few more goals. In terms of driving, I think we’re very stable and solid. We don’t crash as a result of small mistakes.”

 Georg Fischler (AUT / World Championship silver medallist in 2015 and World Championship bronze medallist in 2012):

“This has given us a real boost. We showed a good turn of speed in recent races but didn’t manage to cross the finish line. We played it safe on the first run and then really attacked on the second. We’re back on form now.”

 Robin Geueke (GER / World Championship bronze in 2017):

“We thought we’d blown it after the first run. We made lots of mistakes, but we managed to get our act together for the second run. In the end we were lucky to edge ahead by just three thousandths of a second.”