Alpine skiing: Odermatt unbeatable in Val d’Isère, Pinturault fifth in the giant

2023-12-09 16:11:34

Marco Odermatt was once again stronger than the others. Despite errors in the first part of the race, in the first as in the second round, the Swiss was able to make the difference in the slope of the legendary face of Bellevarde, and thus won the giant of Val d’Isère this Saturday . “It’s perhaps one of the most difficult races I’ve had to do,” admitted the winner of the last big crystal globe, who did not feel 100% this Saturday, at the microphone of Eurosport.

Andorra on the podium

With his hat on his head, the Swiss took care to change his mask in the departure hut. The sky got cloudy at the end of the morning, forcing the skiers to start in the white day under large snowflakes. Marco Odermatt, who scored his 25th success on the circuit, largely dominated his Austrian opponent Marco Schwarz, who climbed to the second step of the podium by 98 hundredths. With the few races that have taken place at the start of the season, Schwarz is ahead in the general classification with 160 points. Manuel Feller is second with 124 points and the player winner is third with 100 points.

[News] He was the most and he still is
Victor Marco Odermatt
Dazzling despite a few mistakes
Marco Schwarz 2nd and Joan Verdu 3rd
Alexis Pinturault 5e
Photo copyright Agence Zoom/Alexis Boichard pic.twitter.com/Y7Xwz7ytVk

— Top Ski News ⛷ (@Top_Ski_News) December 9, 2023

But third place on the podium undoubtedly remains the surprise of the day. The Andorran Joan Verdu (28 years old) achieved the best performance of her career by offering an exceptional round. He finished 1′’32 behind Odermatt and wrote the history of his country, which had never achieved a World Cup podium.

Lack of commitment and courage

On the French side, Alexis Pinturault came close but finished in 5th place on this giant. “Not much is missing, I had a very good second round. If I’m behind, it’s because of the first round. There were too many mistakes, too much greed which cost me dearly,” explains the Savoyard, satisfied but still hungry, in the finish line.

Annecy skier Léo Anguenot, 21st position, is the second Frenchman while Victor Muffat-Jeandet finishes 25th. Thibaut Favrot, for his part, fell halfway through, apparently without injuring himself, admitting a lack of courage and commitment on his part, on a demanding slope which demands a lot.

Next week, skiers will have a busy schedule with three races in Val Gardena (Italy, two downhills and a super-G), and two giants in Alta Badia (Italy). But before that, this Sunday will take place the second slalom of the season. The opportunity for the Frenchman Clément Noël, who finished 12th in Gurgl (Austria), to return to the top.