The double Olympic medallist got his season off to a flyer yesterday by claiming victory in the opening event of the campaign, equalling his tally of wins from the 2015-16 season at the first attempt.

Rydzek has now surpassed last season’s tally by producing another fine performance today, particularly in the cross-country race.

He would begin the race in fifth place after touching down at 126.5 metres in the ski jump, with Norway’s Jarl Magnus Riiber topping the standings on 133.5m.

Rydzek would storm through the field during the 10 kilometre cross-country, closing a deficit of more than one minute to draw level with a leading group of Riiber, Japan’s Akito Watabe and Austria’s Willi Denifl at the halfway mark.

The German would pull away in a late uphill section of the race to cross the line as the winner in 27min 13sec.

"I managed again to apply my technique in my jump and this is definitely what I will try to do in the next competitions as well because with this kind of starting position, I have a lot of options," said Rydzek.

"In spite of this, it was a very hard race, I had to close a big gap.

"But my skis were great and I had the confidence I gained yesterday which made me attack in the end.

"If somebody told me I would leave Ruka with two victories, I wouldn’t have believed it, but I am really enjoying it."

Denifl would triumph in a sprint finish to end as the runner-up, with the Austrian crossing the line 14 seconds down.

He would edge out Watabe and Austria’s Mario Seidl, who would finish a second further back in third and fourth.

The defending overall World Cup champion Eric Frenzel had to settle for 17th place.