Tafel and Limbacher claim first World Cup wins of season in Germany

By Sportsbeat staff

TRISTAN Tafel and Andrea Limbacher were both on form to claim their first wins of the season as the FIS Ski Cross World Cup tour stopped off in Bischofswiesen-Goetschen.

Tafel travelled to Germany with a best finish of ninth, secured during his opening outing of the season, to his name but he was hardly troubled as he won the men's big final.

He crossed the finish line well ahead of American John Teller who in turn got the better of Tafel's Canadian teammate Christopher Del Bosco to take silver.

The men's big final was very much a three-horse race after Frenchman Sylvain Miallier crashed out however the women's one was a far different affair.

Limbacher only got the better of Ophelie David at the finishing line with Alizee Baron settling for a comfortable third after Norwegian Hedda Berntsen veered off course.

Neither win greatly troubles the overall ski cross World Cup standings with Canadian Brady Leman, 19th, and Sanna Luedi, absent, leading the men's and women's respectively.

However David's second-place finish is significant with the French skier closing the gap on Luedi to 49 points with her overall total now standing at 340.

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