Lange guides Germany 1 to victory

Andre Lange set both start and track records to help Germany 1 win Sunday's opening round of the 2008/09 FIBT Four-Man Bobsleigh World Cup at Winterberg, Germany.

Germany'sfour-menbobsleighpilotAndreLangedrinksfrom
ahugeglassofbeerafterwinningthemen'sfour-men
BobsleighWorldCupraceinthewesternGermantownof
WinterbergNovember30,2008.Lange'steammatesareR-L
AlexanderRoediger,KevinKuskeandMartinPutze.
REUTERS/WolfgangRattay(GERMANY)

In the second run, a blistering new start record was set at 5.01 seconds, and Lange, Alexander Roediger, Kevin Kuske and Martin Putze crossed the line in a track record of 54.54 seconds.The combined time was one minute 49.30 seconds.

Germany'sfour-menbobsleighpilotAndreLange(L)wavesas
heposesforagrouppicturewithhisfellowteammatesR-L
AlexanderRoediger,KevinKuskeandMartinPutzeafter
winningthemen'sfour-menBobsleighWorldCupraceinthe
westernGermantownofWinterbergNovember30,2008.
REUTERS/WolfgangRattay(GERMANY)

Russia 1, guided by Alexsandr Zubkov, was a third of a second behind Lange after two runs, earning second place. Steven Holcomb's USA 1 moved up from fifth after heat number 1, to complete the podium line-up.