Liberec, Czech Republic - Todd Lodwick of the United States on Thursday won the cross-country portion of the only Nordic combined skiing mass start race to be contested at world championships.

Lodwick clocked 24 minutes 49.7 seconds in the 10-kilometres ski race in heavy snowfall, winning 4.6 seconds ahead of German Tino Edelmann and 5.2 seconds ahead of fellow-American Bill Demong.

World Cup leader Anssi Koivuranta was also in contention in fifth place going into the evening ski-jumping session of two rounds on the normal hill where the champion will be crowned.

The mass start format was held for the first and only time at the worlds in Liberec.

Nordic combined has undergone a big overhaul, with the preferred format now one round of jumping followed by a 10km cross-country pursuit in which the first across the line is the winner. (dpa)