The German team, comprising of Tino Edelmann, Björn Kircheisen, Johannes Rydzek and Eric Frenzel, accumulated 445.6 points in the ski jumping round before recording a time of 47min 54.4sec in the cross-country race to finish 3.6 seconds ahead of runners-up Norway and 12 clear of third-placed France overall.

The quartet, who finished just 0.1 behind Norway in the previous World Cup event in Ramsau am Dachstein in Austria, took the lead with four good jumps of 91.5 metres, 99.5m, 94.5m and 99m on the HS 106 Langenwaldschanze before two strong laps from Frenzel on the first leg of the cross-country race in the Wittenbachtal opened up an unassailable lead.

Germany's Eric Frenzel competes in the ski jumping round ©Getty Images



The Norwegian team, consisting of Mikko Kokslien, Joergen Graabak, Jan Schmid and Haavard Klemetsen, were 30 seconds off the pace in fourth place going into the cross-country track and despite a slow start, Kokslien and Graabak finished strongly to snatch second position away from France.

The French foursome of Jason Lamy Chappuis, Maxime Laheurte, Francois Braud and Sebastian Lacroix registered jumps of 97m, 95m, 95.5m and 94.5m putting them in second place at the intermediate stage with a total of 444.6 points, ahead of Japan's Yoshito Watabe, Yusuke Minato, Akito Watabe and Taihei Kato on 436.4 points.

The two teams stayed together for the majority of the cross-country race, however, the emergence of Norway saw both nations drop down a place with Japan missing out on the podium.

Italy finished in fifth place, with Austria completing the top six.

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