The 24-year-old only won one World Cup race last season but begins this term on the top of the podium.

Japan's Akito Watabe, who was second in the overall 2015-16 standings, won the ski jumping with a leap of 141.5 metres.

Rydzek, though, was only just behind with his jump of 140.5m putting him just one second behind Watabe at the start of the 10 kilometre cross-country.

The pair skied together for the first part of the race but Watabe could not match his rival and the German surged clear.

It became a one-man race as the eventual winner went solo to line, clocking 27min 31.7sec.

As well as boasting the second best ski jump of the day, Rydzek's ski was the second quickest with the combination seeing him claim gold.

Eric Frenzel, Germany's defending overall World Cup champion and the 10 km/normal hill Olympic champion, was the quickest on the skis as he was timed at 26:52.8.

However, he manged only the eighth best ski jump of 132m which put him more than a minute adrift of Watabe and Rydzek.

Norwegian Jørgen Graabak claimed bronze after finishing fourth after the ski jumping, overhauling Finland's Eero Hirvonen who started third and finished fourth.

Watabe faded during the skiing and came home seventh.

A second Nordic Combined World Cup will take place in Ruka tomorrow.