From Lillehammer, NOR
(November 16, 2022) – Max Illmann took gold in the first race of the European Cup 2022/2023 two-man season, holding off a hard charge from Swiss pilot Timo Rohner for the win.
Illmann and brakeman Phillipp Wobeto were quick off the top in both heats, setting the fourth fastest start time twice, and cruised to a .15 lead over Italy’s Patrick Baumgartner in the first heat. On the second run, Rohner and brakeman Luca Rolli were third quickest off the top and fastest on the bottom to move into the lead, leapfrogging Baumgartner and Romania’s Mihai Tentea along the way.
While Illmann wasn’t the quickest on his second run, he was plenty fast enough to hang with Rohner and take gold to start his season. It was the third win of his career in the two-man sled.
Rohner’s silver was a career-best in two-man bobsled as a pilot, and matched a best in international competition as a pilot with a four-man silver from 2021, also in Lillehammer.
While Baumgartner and brakeman Eric Fantazzini were unable to maintain second place, they were able to hold onto bronze over Tentea by just .05
Latvia’s Emils Cipulis finished fifth, while up-and-coming German pilot Nico Semmler finished sixth, a career best in two-man bobsled.
France’s Romain Heinrich finished the race in seventh, while British pilots Nick Gleeson, Adam Baird, and John Stanbridge finished 11th, 13th, and 15th respectively.
Liechtenstein’s Martin Kranz just missed out on a second run and finished tied for 21st with Jachym Prochazka.
Results:
| Pos | Names | Nation | Bib | Start 1 | Start 2 | Run 1 | Run 2 | Finish |
| 1 | Illmann / Wobeto | GER | 9 | 5.04 | 5.06 | 51.30 | 51.54 | 1:42.84 |
| 2 | Rohner / Rolli | SUI | 6 | 5.05 | 5.05 | 51.50 | 51.52 | 1:43.02 |
| 3 | Baumgartner / Fantazzini | ITA | 7 | 5.10 | 5.12 | 51.45 | 51.71 | 1:43.16 |
| 4 | Tentea / Daroczi | ROU | 12 | 5.07 | 5.08 | 51.49 | 51.72 | 1:43.21 |
| 5 | Cipulis / Nemme | LAT | 11 | 5.00 | 5.02 | 51.64 | 51.66 | 1:43.30 |
| 6 | Semmler / Bosse | GER | 17 | 5.11 | 5.10 | 51.73 | 51.65 | 1:43.38 |
| 7 | Heinrich / Hauterville | FRA | 10 | 5.08 | 5.11 | 51.70 | 51.80 | 1:43.50 |
| 8 | Ammour / Hertel | GER | 22 | 5.00 | 5.00 | 51.86 | 51.81 | 1:43.67 |
| 9 | Zern / Schaller | GER | 16 | 5.12 | 5.12 | 51.88 | 51.80 | 1:43.68 |
| 10 | Variola / Obou | ITA | 15 | 5.05 | 5.07 | 51.80 | 52.10 | 1:43.90 |
| 11 | Gleeson / Cartagena | GBR | 26 | 5.03 | 5.08 | 51.98 | 51.98 | 1:43.96 |
| 12 | Kalenda / Bebriss | LAT | 3 | 5.06 | 5.06 | 52.03 | 51.99 | 1:44.02 |
| 13 | Baird / Kay | GBR | 13 | 5.23 | 5.26 | 52.00 | 52.17 | 1:44.17 |
| 14 | Behounek / Wijas | CZE | 1 | 5.11 | 5.13 | 52.01 | 52.21 | 1:44.22 |
| 15 | Stanbridge / Williams | GBR | 2 | 5.22 | 5.23 | 52.04 | 52.23 | 1:44.27 |
| 16 | Dvorak / Bures | CZE | 5 | 5.14 | 5.14 | 52.27 | 52.09 | 1:44.36 |
| 17 | Vain / Prevost | MON | 28 | 5.16 | 5.13 | 52.36 | 52.09 | 1:44.45 |
| 18 | Nica / Calancea | ROU | 4 | 5.19 | 5.28 | 52.18 | 52.31 | 1:44.49 |
| 19 | Boron / Sosna | POL | 19 | 5.22 | 5.23 | 52.36 | 52.15 | 1:44.51 |
| 20 | Verginer / Batti | ITA | 21 | 5.12 | 5.11 | 52.50 | 52.28 | 1:44.78 |
| 21 | Kranz / Lenherr | LIE | 8 | 5.30 | 52.51 | |||
| 21 | Prochazka / Kadlec | CZE | 24 | 5.10 | 52.51 | |||
| 23 | Baechler / Alais | FRA | 14 | 5.31 | 52.63 | |||
| 24 | Gazmuri-Olivares / Moberg | NOR | 25 | 5.46 | 52.67 | |||
| 25 | Huber / Ragazzi | ITA | 20 | 5.22 | 52.77 | |||
| 26 | Sobczyk / Sienkiewicz | POL | 18 | 5.12 | 52.91 | |||
| 27 | Wesselink / Pals | NED | 23 | 5.37 | 52.95 | |||
| 28 | Turea / Cordos | ROU | 30 | 5.31 | 53.45 | |||
| 29 | Dinca / Rosoiu | ROU | 29 | 5.29 | 53.89 | |||
| 30 | Huis in ‘t Veld / Vuurberg | NED | 27 | 5.48 | 54.18 |
