Rettenegger soars to stunning Mass Start victory in Ramsau
Dec 19, 2025·Nordic Combined
Thomas Rettenegger (AUT) overcame a huge deficit from the cross-country to soar to his second Viessmann FIS Nordic Combined individual World Cup victory in Friday's Mass Start in Ramsau, Austria, with another stunning performance on the jumping hill.
The 25-year-old had only achieved one previous podium finish prior to this season, back in January 2023, but after starting this winter with a third place in Ruka (FIN), claimed his maiden World Cup win in Trondheim (NOR) two weeks ago, also in a Mass Start.
Rettenegger was in 16th place after the cross-country, 48.0 seconds behind the winner Jens Luraas Oftebro (NOR), a deficit of -12 points heading to the HS98 hill.
But a superb jump of 96.0 meters, the second longest of the day, propelled Rettenegger into a lead on 136.0 points than none of the final 15 jumpers left could surpass.
“It was a really great day – I really like Mass Starts!” he said. “I wasn’t really sure if this track would fit me – I knew the good runners would try to kill me and they nearly managed it, but I held on."
Overall leader Johannes Lamparter (AUT), who finished 13th in the tracks, jumped 93.0m to temporarily move into second but eventually finished off the podium in fourth.
Stefan Rettenegger (AUT) briefly threatened to make it a brotherly one-two as his 87.0m effort took him to 126.8 points, but could still take huge satisfaction from third place – his first podium finish since Trondheim in March 2024.
“It took some time for me to get back to the podium but I am really grateful that it worked today,” said the 23-year-old, who claimed 11 podiums in the 2023-24 season in finishing runner-up overall behind Jarl Magnus Riiber (NOR), but none last season.
“To be on the podium together with Thom, with him celebrating his second World Cup victory, makes it even more special in front of a home crowd. I couldn’t think of a better place to do it.”
Oftebro, who beat Stefan Rettenegger by 9.6 seconds in the tracks, held his nerve, jumping last, with an 86.0m effort to split the Austrian siblings - beating Stefan Rettenegger by just 0.1 of a point to take second, his first podium of the season.
“I am really satisfied,” he said. “It was a hard race in the tracks but I felt really good. It was also challenging on the hill with the tail-wind in the end but I am so happy to be finally back on the podium.
“It has been a hard start to the season for me but to get a podium for the whole team is really good and we can look forward to more now.”
In the cross-country tracks earlier, Oftebro (No.24, above) took over from his brother, Einar, at the front early on, to lead the field through the first 2.5km loop with Vinzenz Geiger – the defending champion who missed the opening weekend in Ruka before making his return in Trondheim- and Julian Schmid (GER) in close pursuit along with Stefan Rettenegger and Franz-Josef Rehrl.
Rettenegger hit the front on the second lap, with Lamparter – who was tucked into the chasing pack – slipping back slightly after breaking a pole.
But Oftebro led a stacked field at the 5km halfway point, with Rettenegger, Geiger, Schmid and the Norwegian Skoglund brothers, Andreas and Aleksander, all within two seconds.
Oftebro was still in front after the third of four loops – with Ilkka Herola (FIN) and Aaron Kostner (ITA) moving into the top five and Lamparter up to eighth, almost 13 seconds back.
The duel at the front continued with Rettenegger again taking the lead briefly on the final lap, but Oftebro bided his time and put in a huge burst with 1km left to open up a gap which he maintained to win the race in 25:02.6.
Rettenegger finished second, +9.6 seconds back, with Herola third (+13.0), Geiger fourth (+13.7) and Kostner fifth ahead of the Skoglund brothers in sixth and seventh, with Schmid 34.1 seconds behind in 10th and Lamparter trailing in 13th, 39.8 seconds adrift.
Rettenegger reigns again on hill
That set the scene for a tit-for-tat battle on the hill between Austria and Germany after a huge early jump of 96.5m from Atsusha Narita (JPN) – the longest of the day – preceded Marco Heinis (FRA) briefly taking the lead.
Franz-Josef Rehrl (AUT) – after finishing a lowly 35th in the cross-country – hit top spot with a 92.5m jump, before Richard Stenzel (GER) and Martin Fritz (AUT) successively took over at the top.
But Thomas Rettenegger, the best jumper of the season so far, flew 96.0m with a stylish jump to move into the lead with 136.0 points.
Overall leader Lamparter, 13th in the cross-country, fell short of his compatriot with a 93.0m effort for 126.1 points, while Schmid could only manage sixth place with his 91.0m jump (118.5 points).
Geiger’s under-par effort of 81.5m dropped him out of the top 10 to 13th, but Herola’s 87.5m jump was good enough for fifth place to maintain his consistent start to the season.
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