Azzurri attacked by Rettenbach, now it's up to De Aliprandini & Co. "The top 5 would be a good result"

On Sunday in Soelden the male giant: word to the vice world champion, to Borsotti and to the young Franzoni a few hours before the debut.

Saturday 23 October 2021 5 minutes reading time

The Italgigante has not been on the Rettenbach podium for nine years, when Manfred Moelgg, who will not be on track on Sunday to recover better and think about the December races, bowed only to an impregnable Ted Ligety, dominant (in the post-season material revolution) with almost 3 seconds of leeway. Expectations for tomorrow's men's opening in Soelden are certainly lower than on the eve of the girls, who then did not do well today in the first giant of the season, but for Luca De Aliprandini and his companions there is no lack of ambitions. With the vice world champion who has always done quite well in the Oetztal, with three top ten and the tenth place conquered also in the last edition. The 31-year-old from Trentino did not have an ideal approach to this first of the cup, but ... "the race is another thing compared to training - the words of the blue leader through the FISI press office - Soelden is a race very difficult, in which I have never set great goals. I will have to try to start well and I think finishing in the top 5 would be a good result. I feel pretty good, even though it may not have gone quite as expected in the last few weeks; last week I had a small contracture here in Soelden, but it's improving ”. Together with the silver from Cortina, Giovanni Borsotti, Simon Maurberger, Riccardo Tonetti, Alex Vinatzer, Hannes Zingerle, Giovanni Franzoni and Filippo Della Vite will take to the track. "I feel as many emotions as always, we know that this is a race that is always a bit in itself and with a different tension from the others - the words of Borsotti, one of the veterans of the group - We did well in training, the girls told us which was prepared very well like last year. We will have to attack it all and give it our all. I am calm, I know I have prepared well and I try to have fun since I have been doing this track for many years ”. Giovanni Franzoni will experience his first Rettenbach, after making his debut in CdM last year in Alta Badia, and then graduating as vice world champion jr in this specialty (and having done very well in Cortina in the world championship race among seniors). "There are many firsts for me, the first in which I compete with the public and the debut in Soelden where we trained last week - explains the very young Brescia - I hope the snow is harder than seven days ago, but it is served a lot of skiing here. I can't wait for the race to launch myself off the Rettenbach ”.

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