While Saturday may be all about individual battles and glory for an eventual single winner, the focus on Friday here in Munich is squarely on the coming together of the world's best ice cross downhill skaters for what looks set to be a mouthwatering Team Competition.
Considering that this 370m track is possibly the most difficult and spectacular ever built in the history of the sport, never will it have felt so good for the riders to have a few buddies out there on the track alongside them, and if last night's training session is anything to go by, riders hurtling down this track six abreast looks like a perfect recipe for some dramatic thrills and spills.
Team Living the Dream held off a strong challenge from Team UNRL in Quebec City back in November. Picture: Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
Team Living the Dream - made up of Canada's Scott Croxall, his countryman Adam Horst and American Cameron Naasz - will be looking to continue their winning streak and make it four in a row. The all-American lineup of Team UNRL - Matt Johnson, Daniel Bergeson, Tommy Mertz and Maxwell Dunne - will certainly be looking to end that run and produce some Munich magic of their own. They fought Team Living the Dream all the way in Quebec City back in November, and the conditions may be just right on Friday night for them to poke their blades over the line first. Also looking to knock Team Living the Dream off their icy perch will be Steal17, powered by an in-form Dean Moriarity, and Couch Garden Crew, spearheaded by the lightning blades of Austrian brothers Marco and Luca Dallago.
It looks set to be a truly thrilling contest, and the fans will be out in force here in Munich to cheer the ice warriors home.
Ice-packed...Riders go six abreast down the track during a busy battle in the Team Competition. Picture: Joerg Mitter/Red Bull Content Pool
Would you like to be part of the crowd here this weekend and experience first-hand the amazing atmosphere and full-throttle action? Skate over to our ticket area and secure your place trackside.
You can't join us in Munich? Don't worry, you can catch all the action live on January 9 at 6:40pm CET right here!