“All the preparation plans and works are going according to the list, everything is in order,” said Sandis Prå«sis, whose bobsled national team is conducting training runs on the Vinterberg track this Sunday and preparing for the doubles competition at the weekend. “Also everything is fine with everyone’s health. Training trips? Well, the times of the trips are already visible to everyone, but there is nothing very bright yet.”
In the training held on Wednesday, the Latvian pilots started the second group, which did not have the main favorites, the locals and the Swiss. EmÄ«la Cipuļa’s team had the 4th, 3rd and 5th times in three practice trips, while the 6th, 8th and 2nd times for JÄ“kaba Kalenda’s team. In the third training run, Kalenda Cipuli beat by 0.25 seconds.
“I sometimes think less about the second numbers, then they don’t have much pressure and they get along better,” admitted PrÅ«sis. “What’s wrong with Cipulis in training? Probably from all the elements, including his own driving. It’s usually the time of the season when you have to switch to the small tracks. It also feels “You see that Emäl feels the pressure on himself, as the first number of the national team, he has a burden of responsibility.”
At the end of the previous week, Cipulis won the PK stage in the fours of Altenberg, when he shared the first place with the dominant German pilot FranÄ esko Frä«drich.
“THAT was a different discipline,” PrÅ«sis explained. “But yes, I understand that now people want what they can expect from the world champion, people feel that even the world champion the championship will be so much hunting and winning. Emotionally, I understand – if I were watching from the outside as a spectator, I would already think differently.”
At the end of the previous week, not only the victory of Cipuįa’s foursome was experienced, but also the disqualification of Kalenda’s team in doubles for exceeding the weight limit. The coach of the national team indicated that it was simply negligence: “It wasn’t followed, I don’t have much more to say. It was as if everything was the same as before, there was a 4kg reserve, but on the scales, however, it turned out that it was 1.5 kg too much. Aren’t you worried that something bad will happen again? Well, if it happens again, it will be a hill of stupidity, nothing else. “
Continuing on the practice runs before the PäŒ, Pråsis also shared his opinion on the results of the first group, where the fastest in the 1st race was the German pilot Johannes Lohner, who did not drive again after that, and Adam Ammor was the fastest in races 2 and 3. Fredrich’s results were quite low, but Pråsis asks you not to pay any attention to it.
“It doesn’t mean anything”, the first story will also be in my mind. Look at Fredrich’s start times in training, he is not pushing 100% there already,” said PrÅ« sis. “I am, if not 100%, 99% sure about the competition yesterday, that we will get all the podiums, including one.”
The status of the favorites of the VET pilots on their own track is undeniable, but at the same time, other facts should be noted – Cipulis will come to the four-man competition as the vice-leader of the PK total, previously The winner of this stage and the current world vice-champion. If even a year ago Pråsis himself did not deny that Cipuļa’s team’s silver in the world championship was a surprise, then how does the public still look at this scenario, that is, is it a surprise is it really a surprise if it is expected?
“I’ll say this – I like the cautious attitude of competitors,” Pråsis said after considering the question. “You could describe it with the word ‘respect’. I think that many did not expect that we could ride together with Friedrich in the previous stage, even with a bad start time, and from this I would gain respect from the competitors, say, again you have tried something and prepared it directly for PŒ. What would surprise me myself? I say that “Already 3rd place and bronze would be a pleasant surprise for me.”
The doubles competition will take place on the weekend on Saturday and Sunday, both days at 14:00. As is usual, the world championships have a total of four races, instead of two as in previous competitions. Tomorrow, the four-man competition will follow at the end of the week already at the beginning of March.
