Dobler and Moch save medal: German squadron succeeds bronze sensation at World Cup

The German cross-country skiers sensationally win bronze in the relay at the World Championships in Planica, Slovenia. The quartet with Albert Kuchler, Janosch Brugger, Jonas Dobler and anchor Friedrich Moch only had to admit defeat to the superior Norwegians and Finland one day after the women’s silver coup.

The German cross-country relay surprisingly won the bronze medal at the Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica. With Albert Kuchler, Janosch Brugger, Jonas Dobler and Friedrich Moch, the German quartet was only beaten by the dominant Norwegians and Finland over 4×10 kilometers.

Above all Dobler with an outstanding chase and final runner Moch with a tactical masterpiece stood out in the team of team boss Peter Schlickenrieder. The women’s relay had won silver just a day earlier, before that there had been no German cross-country skiing medal at a World Cup for almost twelve years.

Kuchler had brought the German team on course as the starting runner and handed over to Brugger as part of the peloton, who fell back from the group and handed over to Dobler, 18 seconds behind in third place. However, the 31-year-old managed to close the gap. Moch brought the medal home in a sprint duel with the French.

Meanwhile, the Norwegians Hans Christer Holund, Paal Golberg, Krüger and Kläbo continued a splendid series. At the past 17 World Championships since 1991, the foursome from Norway has won gold 16 times. Austria only won in 1999, but later part of the relay came under suspicion of doping. All five decisions in the cross-country men went to the North Europeans around Johannes Hoesflot Klaebo, who now has nine World Championship gold medals like the legend Björn Dählie.

While the women were able to win gold in the team sprint and silver in the relay at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, it is by far the greatest success for the men in the era of team boss Schlickenrieder. Moch took on Frenchman Jules Lapierre and Sweden’s Calle Halfvarsson on the final lap and prevailed in the sprint to the finish. Norway and Finland had long since hurried away.