Opportunity knocks in Ruka for Nordic Combined rivals

Aspiring challengers for the men’s Viessmann FIS Nordic Combined World Cup overall crown have a prime opportunity to make an opening statement in Ruka (FIN) this week in the absence of the top two from last season.

A foot injury to Crystal Globe winner Vinzenz Geiger (GER) has denied the defending champion the chance to find the form he showed on the same weekend in the Finnish resort 12 months ago.

Geiger finished second in the opening Compact and third in a Gundersen before winning the concluding Mass Start – his first individual World Cup win since December 2022 - to take last year’s Ruka Tour title.

It proved to be the first of seven wins, among 13 podiums, for the German last season and a precursor to a changing of the guard in men’s Nordic Combined as five-time World Cup champion Jarl Magnus Riiber (NOR) bowed out after the penultimate event in Oslo, leaving the way clear for Geiger to take his first overall crown.

But the 28-year-old tore ligaments in his foot during a recent weight-training warm-up session and will miss the first two rounds of World Cup action in Ruka - which hosts three competitions this weekend - and Trondheim (NOR), which will host two more from 5-7 December.

“It’s obviously unfortunate, the timing isn’t ideal,” said Geiger. “But I’m working hard to get back and of course I hope to be competing as soon as possible.”

Geiger’s absence for the first five of 19 individual competitions adds to the sense of intrigue and opportunity already created by Riiber’s retirement.

The ‘King of Nordic Combined’ has been the dominant presence in the sport since he won the first of four successive titles in 2018-19, right up to his final competition in March.

Ruka will witness a host of other contenders jostling for supremacy in a season which will also see the men fighting for Winter Olympics medals in February.

After a Provisional Competition Round on Thursday, 27 November, the World Cup action will again start with an individual Compact on Friday, with the ski jumping on the HS142 Large Hill followed by a 7.5km cross-country race.

An individual Gundersen will take place on Saturday, 29 November, before the final day on Sunday features a Mass Start – the only format where the cross-country comes before the ski jumping.

Last year’s Ruka Tour produced three different winners, with five-time overall champion Riiber, Johannes Rydzek (GER) and Geiger all tasting victory on the opening weekend.

That was a change from the five preceding years, when Riiber won at least two of the three events each year, including all three in 2019.

But there are other Ruka specialists returning this week aiming to get their World Cup seasons off to a flying start.

Five of Rydzek’s 18 individual World Cup victories have come in the Finnish resort, including his first competition there back in 2014.

Now 33, the former Olympic champion (below) showed last year he could still pull out a big result with a fifth Gundersen win in Ruka – his first individual World Cup victory in five years – and approaches his 18th season on the circuit in good form on the back of a successful Summer Grand Prix series.

Another athlete to watch could be Jens Luraas Oftebro (NOR), who has two victories among 10 podium finishes in Ruka since 2019.

Other current competitors to have previously won there are 37-year-old Akito Watabe (JPN), in 2017, Terence Weber (GER) - in 2021 - and Julian Schmid (GER), in 2022.

The consistent Schmid also enjoyed a second and a third-place finish 12 months ago as Germany filled seven of the nine podium places across the three days of competition.

Johannes Lamparter (AUT), the 2022-23 overall champion and a likely contender for this season’s crown, is seeking a maiden win in Ruka after five second-places over the past five years.

Home favourite Ilkka Herola (FIN) should also be highly motivated to give the Finnish fans something to celebrate, as he begins his 14^th season on the circuit.

The 30-year-old was in inspired form at the end of last season, storming to a maiden World Cup win in Oslo and a second place on the final weekend in Lahti to post his best overall finish of fifth.

RUKA - WORLD CUP SCHEDULE (all times CET)

27.11.2025

13:00 – Men’s LH PCR

28.11.2025

12:15 – Men’s Individual LH SJ

15:15 – Men’s Individual Compact (7.5km)  

29.11.2025

10:15 – Men’s Individual LH SJ

14:35 – Men’s Individual Gundersen (10km)  

30.11.2025

09:00 – Men’s Individual Mass Start (10km)

13:00 – Men’s Individual LH SJ