The 33-year-old World Championship bronze medallist, pushed by Bror van der Zijde, Simon Friedli and Thomas Amrhein, completed their two runs in 1min 48.31sec to triumph at the American track.

Silver went to home pilot Steven Holcomb, aided by Carlo Valdes, James Reed and Samuel McGuffie, who finished in a time of 1:48.70.

Canada took bronze as Chris Spring drove Cameron Stones, Lascelles Brown and Samuel Giguère down in 1:48.71.

The top three benefited from the absence of the always dangerous German teams, who opted to skip Lake Placid in order to test equipment at home.

Peter's win at the two-time Winter Olympic host venue has put his team top of the overall standings after two legs of the season.

He has 435 points with Vancouver 2010 Olympic champion Holcomb second on 402.

Russia's Alexander Kasjanov, who was eighth today, is third overall on 385.

The women's skeleton competition also took place today with Austria's Janine Flock taking victory.

The European champion and World Championship silver medallist was timed at 1:49.77 to clinch her third World Cup victory.

In the process she set a new track record for Lake Placid with her first run of 54.84.

Britain's Olympic champion Lizzy Yarnold slid to silver as she continues her comeback following a year off.

She was timed at 1:50.58 as Canada's Mirela Rahneva grabbed bronze in 1:50.92.

Yarnold has gone top of the overall standings on 402 points, narrowly in front of Germany's Jacqueline Loelling who boasts 394.

Canada's Elisabeth Vathje, winner of the opening leg of the season on home ice in Whistler, is third on 385 points.

The next leg of the IBSF World Cup will take place in Altenberg in Germany between January 6 and 8.