Just 24 hours earlier France’s women had stormed to victory and their male compatriots were not going to be outdone, Jean Guillaume Beatriz, Simon Fourcade, Alexis Boeuf and Martin Fourcade winning with a combined time of 1:12:14.7 hours.
Germany and Austria finished second and third respectively for their first podium places of the World Cup season.
Despite finishing fourth in Italy Russia still lead the World Cup relay standings, sitting just seven points ahead of France and 16 ahead of Germany with one race left.
