From Jaufental, ITA
(February 3, 2024) – A day after finishing behind Matthias and Peter Lambacher, Austria’s Maxmilian Pichler and Nico Edlinger won the 30th FIL Natural Track European Championships.
In the one-heat race World Cup leaders Matthias and Peter Lambacher took the lead from teammates Tobias Paur and Andreas Hofer from the penultimate starting spot, leaving the Austrians still to go.
Pichler and Edlinger started .15 slower than the Lambachers and trailed throughout, though the gap continually closed. However, where the Lambachers were just a tick slower at the finish, Pichler and Edlinger found time and crossed the finish line .2 ahead of the Italians.
The win for Pichler and Edlinger was their first European Championship and the first for Austria in over two decades.
Lambacher and Lambacher took silver, .68 ahead of Paur and Hofer, who won bronze.
Peter and Dominik Neupauer finished fourth, nearly a second out of the medals, while Germany’s Bine Mekina and Simon Dietz took fifth.
Results:
| Pos | Names | Nation | Bib | Start | Total |
| 1 | Pichler / Edlinger | AUT | 8 | 10.32 | 58.00 |
| 2 | Lambacher / Lambacher | ITA | 7 | 10.17 | 58.20 |
| 3 | Paur / Hofer | ITA | 5 | 10.46 | 58.88 |
| 4 | Neupauer / Neupauer | SVK | 6 | 10.34 | 59.76 |
| 5 | Mekina / Dietz | GER | 2 | 10.44 | 1:00.15 |
| 6 | Hasek / Rydl | CZE | 4 | 10.37 | 1:02.21 |
| 7 | Plonka / Dawidowski | POL | 3 | 11.47 | 1:07.38 |
| 8 | Kwiecinski / Hudy | POL | 1 | 11.41 | 1:07.46 |
