Despite one penalty loop, the men's team from Norway was able to secure victory in the relay for the third time this season.
The German team with David Zobel, Johannes Kühn, Benedikt Doll and Roman Rees was very attacking from the beginning and strong at the shooting range with only four reloads in total.
David Zobel made his debut in the World Cup relay as a start runner and mastered his task excellently. Especially Johannes Kühn and Benedikt Doll also impressed with enormous running strength. In his final lap Kühn, running in second position, managed to gain 15 seconds on the French, who were leading at that time and were represented by last season's overall World Cup winner Quentin Fillot Maillet. He handed over to Benedikt Doll in third position, who immediately gave full throttle and reduced the gap to the leaders in every lap. In the end he came to the last exchange as the leader, together with Norway.
"It's fun to be able to annoy the Norwegians a little bit," he made a statement afterwards after he was able to overtake Vetle Sjaastad Christiansen in his last lap.
The German last skier, Roman Rees, had to deal with superstar Johannes Thingnes Boe, against whom there is no match at the moment. There it was necessary to keep calm and not to let himself go crazy - and that is Roman's strength. He defended second place for Germany!
Third place goes to the team from France, Sweden and Italy follow on places 4 and 5.