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After the one dedicated to the women's sector, here is our presentation with all the possible protagonists for each specialty. In general, two names above all, in speed an exciting show with six phenomena is expected again. Between the narrow poles, save those who can ...
Wednesday 19 October 2022 37 minutes reading time
The start on Sunday from Soelden, the novelty of Zermatt-Cervinia (to be confirmed), the double North American trip starting from the classic combined Lake Louise-Beaver Creek and then returning after the World Championships between Palisades Tahoe and the speed triptych in Aspen (which replaces Kvitfjell after almost 30 years), the second half of December all Italian between Val Gardena, the two giants on the Gran Risa, the slalom on the 3Tre di Campiglio and the fast races in Bormio, before a January that begins with the novelty of the renunciation in Zagreb to face the first of two stages in Garmisch (first slalom, then giant descent), preceding the very classic ones of Adelboden, Wengen (which confirms the super-g), Kitzbuehel and Schladming. And to close in mid-March Kranjska Gora, who again obtained two giants on Podkoren, and the finals in Soldeu. In a nutshell, this is the calendar of the men's World Cup 2022/23, long 43 appointments (one more than women) and, compared to the pink circuit, with more fast races than the technical ones (14 descents and 8 super-g from a part, 10 slalom, 10 giants and the parallel of Lech / Zuers on the other) and two big favorites for the absolute crystal ball, the keeper Marco Odermatt and the one who won it two years earlier, instead finishing 2nd in 2022, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. Let's make the cards for the upcoming season, starting from what we will see among the men who aim for the general. GENERAL: ODERMATT VS KILDE, BUT THE “PURE” SPEEDS CAN PLAY IT Marco Odermatt and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, all the more so with the Norwegian's full-time return between the giant's wide doors. These are the two names that catalyze the attention to conquer the absolute crystal ball in the upcoming season, but it is clear that "Odi", given its exponential downward growth and absolute domination in giant, taking for granted its performance in super -g (the discipline, however, most sacrificed in terms of the calendar), starts as the first favorite in front of the winner of the 2020 cup, who will have to limit the damage in the giant and play it above all in the queen discipline to make a little difference on the Swiss rival. Henrik Kristoffersen and Alexis Pinturault, who for many years have chased the cup dream behind Marcel Hirscher, with the transalpine who then made it in 2021, on the wire against Odermatt, for various reasons they start decidedly behind compared to the two names mentioned above. HK94 has the exceptional stimulus, but also the unknown factor, of changing materials with the great adventure started with the Van Deer brand of the great former rival Hirscher, but with about twenty technical races and zero chances in speed, finding himself in the presence of two athletes (Odermatt and Kilde) who are top-tier in three disciplines, the count is soon done and it would take a half miracle to fight for the final triumph, while the final podium goal, which the Norwegian also reached in 2021 / 22 closing third, is within reach, albeit far from simple. Similar speech for Pinturault, who for his part is less competitive than Kristoffersen in slalom, but can collect something good in super-g: with the World Championships at home (literally, since Alexis is from Courchevel), the leader of the Team de France will mainly aim to redeem one year, the last, really disappointing with no cup victories after a decade and with the tenth place overall. With the beauty of 14 descents, the Austrian "twins", Vincent Kriechmayr and above all Matthias Mayer, who a couple of years ago remained in the race for the coppone until late January, will be anything but underestimated, since especially in the queen discipline, the three-time Olympic champion can have something more than his teammate. In any case, the same two world champion from Cortina 2021 finished in 5th place in the general 2021/22, just 40 points from “Mothl”. Thinking precisely on this calendar that winks at those who know how to express themselves at the highest levels downhill, here Dominik Paris can think of fighting for a top five final (but the podium is not impossible). Probably a more complicated mission for Beat Feuz, even if the new Olympic champion, in addition to aiming for the five downhill cups after interrupting the series at the Courchevel finals, has shown that he can still do well in some super-gs on the circuit. The third Austrian in order of chances? It is difficult to say if it can be, like last year, a Manuel Feller finally continuing between giant and slalom, or Marco Schwarz who, after a really complicated season, expects him at the levels of 2020/21 both between the narrow poles, but moving the his range of action up to the super-g, which the Carinthian will play on several occasions. Athletes who can do very well on the two technical disciplines, however, are certainly Loic Meillard and the two norge class 2000, Lucas Braathen and Atle Lie McGrath, already winners in the first year after knee injury (for both) and able to climb who knows where. Speaking again of sprinters, with some chance to go as far as the giant in certain contexts, we must pay attention to Ryan Cochran-Siegle: 2021/22 was rehabilitated after the very bad injury in Kitzbuehel, but "RCS" is able to amaze in any type of race between downhill and super-g, even if in view of the World Cup (even only for the top ten final) continuity will be the real question mark for the very talented American. DESCENT: SIX "MONSTERS" AND ... THE REST OF THE WORLD Last season of descent gave us a truly unique spectacle, with six simply incredible athletes who played the specialty World Cup until the last two races, even if the "seventh", the eternal Johan Clarey, risked to mock everyone in the most important challenge, the Olympic one that saw the transalpine silver, a breath away from Beat Feuz. We can only start with the four-time winner of the crystal ball in the queen discipline, and now reigning Olympic champion, to analyze what will happen along the 14 events (absolute record) scheduled for 2022/23 of the downhill panorama: Feuz, in fact , he lost the last cup on the wire in the flywheel in the finals against Aleksander Aamodt Kilde and, albeit with the stimulus of a world challenge like the one on the Courchevel Eclypse, the 35-year-old red-cross will aim for another (the last before quitting?) shot in the specialty rankings. Starting from Zermatt-Cervinia, it will be a total challenge with Dominik Paris, in our opinion the co-favorite for the trophy: back on the final podium last year, third behind Kilde and Feuz, the blue jet wants to crown, at 33 years old , a career that is missing only this World Cup (after having already won the super-g one) and an Olympic medal (in that case, we will have to wait until Milan Cortina 2026). The preparation was excellent, but the opponents are terrifying, as the leading sextet is completed with Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, Marco Odermatt, Matthias Mayer and Vincent Kriechmayr. The Norwegian has won the two cups in the speed sector, he will also aim for the general and maybe in the downhill he may lack something in the races more pure specialists, but he is capable of everything like his direct rival Marco Odermatt, immediately on the podium on a track like the Streif and, although not yet a winner in any competition of the queen discipline, ready to play for the crystal ball also in DH. Austria offers its veterans as a reference point, two absolute guarantees such as Matthias Mayer and Vincent Kriechmayr: perhaps in the downhill they start less favorites than the super-g, but especially the Carinthian can beat anyone and with a certain continuity. The Wunderteam trident is completed with Daniel Hemetsberger, one of the revelations of last year together with the Swiss Niels Hintermann, who in turn is the "third violin" of the Red Cross team. Attention to France and the United States, with many veterans who, for a shot of the day rather than a top five in the specialty ranking, at least unlikely, can play with elements such as Clarey, Muzaton, Theaux and Bailet on the one hand, and Cochran-Siegle , Ganong and Bennett on the other. Then there are the Germans to keep an eye on, especially a champion like Thomas Dressen who, despite being tormented by injuries in the last 3 years, now seems to have finally been able to put together a quality training period to present himself in good condition in Zermatt. -Cervinia. At his side the eternal Romed Baumann and Josef Ferstl above all. If Max Franz no longer seems to be the one at the end of 2018 with the two victories in series between Lake Louise and Beaver Creek, we should not be surprised if the young Canadians will be able to point to some bang, from Cameron Alexander, who has given himself to Kvitfjell an incredible success, to James Crawford. Sweden awaits the return of Felix Monsen, Switzerland the best Urs Kryenbuehl, that is the one seen up to the terrible crash on the Streif, finally the other Azzurri who will aim for at least a podium, missed also last year if we exclude, of course, the results of Paris. We are talking about Casse, Marsaglia and Innerhofer above all, of a Guglielmo Bosca who has found consistency to aim for more than a top ten if not ... more, and maybe a Lele Buzzi completely disheartened in recent seasons, but who has worked well with Ghidoni's group like Nick Molteni himself. SUPER-G: KILDE, ODERMATT, MAYER AND KRIECHMAYR, AGAIN THEM! If in the downhill we have indicated six names above all in the predictions, here is that for the super-g it could be a quartet to compete again for the specialty ranking. Aleksander Aamodt Kilde clearly won the cup last season, with four successes and the accounts already closed in Kvitfjell, taking advantage of some empty passes (as on the Norwegian track) of Marco Odermatt, who also missed the Olympic chance in that discipline. The Nidvaldese can also play for this trophy, considering his exceptional qualities in SG, but it will not be easy to oust the Norwegian from the throne, simply devastating in any type of competition, as will Vincent Kriechmayr and Matthias Mayer. Respectively third and fourth in the final classification 2021/22, the two Austrians will try again (Kriechmayr won that cup in 2021, right in front of Odermatt) on a very "short" calendar, given that there will be just eight specialty races and there will be no will allow any kind of error, especially in the initial triple appointment between Lake Louise and Beaver Creek. Dominik Paris, if he will be able to find the level seen until 2020 and the pre-Kitzbuehel injury, he will still be able to undermine these great rivals, he who has come out of the WCSL top ten in discipline after a very complicated last year. There are two real loose mines, not to be excluded also for the fight at the specialty podium, which respond to the names of James Crawford and Ryan Cochran-Siegle. Two pure supergiants, with the instinct and the class of those who know how to invent all kinds of numbers in such a particular competition; the two North Americans start in front of the prediction of a trio of Swiss like the one formed by Beat Feuz, never really fighting for the crystal ball and with the focus all on the descent, Stefan Rogentin, who did very well in 21/22, and above all the returning Mauro Caviezel, winner of the cup in 2020 and Kilde's first rival until the injury at the start of 2021 (in training in Garmisch) which affected the following year and a half. Now the Graubünden seems to have recovered and especially in the more technical super-gs he can play with the great ones. Another classy element, often affected by physical problems, is Adrian Smiseth Sejersted, Norway's second striker. From Sander to Baumann, from Ferstl to the returning Dressen, Germany offers four top-level athletes (Jocher is there too ...), Austria, in addition to the two "beacons", will start with hopes for Walder, Haaser and Danklmaier , with some forays also by Marco Schwarz himself, France on Bailet, Giezendanner, Pinturault (not in all tests) and Clarey who, however, even came out of the top 30 of the WCSL. In addition to "RCS", Americans who can count on the usual Travis Ganong and River Radamus, while Italy will also rely on Casse, Marsaglia, Innerhofer, Bosca and, with the feeling that it can already make the leap this year after the first apprenticeship competitions, Giovanni Franzoni who won the general classification of the European Cup and already at the highest level showed us important things. Precisely in super-g, even more than in giant, placements could be played with "heavy" points. GIANT: "HATE" THE MASTER, ALL IN PURSUIT Five victories, two second places and a third, eight podiums on as many seasonal races of the World Cup of specialties and the Olympic gold, resisting in the storm of Yanqing the insane comeback of Zan Kranjec, as only a champion could have done. Marco Odermatt was the absolute master of the giant in the last season, at the levels of the best Hirscher and Ligety in the new millennium, and starts as a natural favorite for an encore even among wide doors. Henrik Kristoffersen has been able to beat him twice, on two wonderful tracks such as the Gran Risa in Alta Badia and the Podkoren in Kranjska Gora, in the last 12 months: the Norwegian will already understand in Soelden something more about his possibilities after the revolution of the passage from Rossignol to Van Deer, but it will be in the heart of the season, with the great classics on the most challenging slopes, that we will know if the ace norge will be able to duel continuously in the presence of King Odermatt. And Alexis Pinturault? On paper, he is the third candidate for a specialty cup he has already won in 2021, burning "Odes" at the Lenzerheide finals, but he will have to change almost everything compared to last season's semi-disaster. The transalpine has all the qualities and experience to be able to consistently return to the front, even if the Nidwalden has taken the giant to a higher level. Lucas Braathen, Manuel Feller, Luca De Aliprandini and Zan Kranjec are the other champions in the first starting sub-group and are attacking the new season with very important ambitions, albeit with different motivations. Going in order, the 22-year-old Scandinavian is now ready, two years after his first victory in Soelden and with Adelboden's serious injury in the middle, to also fight for a cup of discipline considering that, especially in the second half of the year 21/22, we have reviewed the "Pinheiro" which exploded with his dance on the Rettenbach in 2020. The Austrian, also considering the injury of his partner Brennstreiner (out for the opening, but will return soon for the December classics ), he will have to carry the whole Wunderteam on his shoulders and can certainly fight for the specialty podium, which can also become a goal of the only blue able to stay at the top, for years now, of a discipline in which the Italy has been suffering for some time. Luca De Aliprandini, in fact, has already toyed with the idea of the top 3 final in the last year (which later ended in sixth position), the most continuous of his career that took a definitive turning point with the world silver in Cortina 2021. In Courchevel the goal will be the medal, but the Trentino, at the height of his competitive maturity, will aim for the second podium in the World Cup, after having crowned his dream on the Gran Risa 10 months ago, much earlier. The Slovenian vice Olympic champion, to conclude the analysis of this quartet, must instead find a lost continuity from 2020 onwards, even if that five-circle medal could have changed things for Kranjec, who has a good chance on Rettenbach already next Sunday, as the feeling with Soelden is excellent (two podiums). He has all the means to get the first "real" victory in the cup (so far he won only in the discussed parallel of Chamonix 2020), after having already obtained five giant podiums and thrown away a couple of huge chances, Loic Meillard who at 25 years is already a certainty on both technical disciplines. Much is expected from the Swiss, as well as from the reigning world champion, Mathieu Faivre, who after the gold in Cortina seemed to have embarked on the path of a second career of the highest level, but last year (despite saving himself with bronze at the Games) has really struggled, and from Filip Zubcic finished even close to the border of the world top 15, but already able to win three times in the World Cup. Top ten final specialty goal, hardly anything more, for Gino Caviezel and Justin Murisier (with the herniated disc which represents a big problem for the Valaisan, albeit already recovering) in Switzerland, for River Radamus and Alexander Schmid , as well as potentially for Atle Lie McGrath, even if so far the other norge phenomenon has shown us the best things in slalom, and Thibaut Favrot. If among the young people there is a name like that of Alexander Steen Olsen, bi world champion jr between giant and slalom, but also already in the top ten among the wide doors at the 2022 finals, which stands out above all, finally also the 'Italia proposes two class 2001 with a sure future. Filippo Della Vite, second in the world championship race behind his Norwegian peer, and Giovanni Franzoni himself can aim continuously for the top 15 on several occasions, important signals are expected since the opening on the Rettenbach, where we will also see at the start Borsotti, Hofer, Zingerle, Tonetti and Maurberger (in addition to Paris) as national team cards. SLALOM: A TOTAL BARAONDA, VINATZER IN THE MIX? It is the craziest and most unpredictable specialty of the white circus. Of course, Henrik Kristoffersen has managed to impose himself twice since Hirscher's retirement onwards, winning the trophy in 2020 and 2022 (with Schwarz red bib in 2021), but at the levels of single appointments everything has been seen, with sensational reversals and always different winners. Hence, indicating the Norwegian as the first favorite for the 2022/23 slalom World Cup seems at least a gamble, just think that the Olympic champion and winner already nine times (at just 25 years old) in races of the maximum circuit, Clément Noel, he still hasn't raised a crystal ball. The Frenchman can be considered the technical reference, but in a few months two phenomena such as Lucas Braathen and, above all, the frightening Atle Lie McGrath admired in the final of 21/22, arrived to shuffle even more the cards of a specialty that, in every case, saw three Scandinavians finish in the top four of the final rankings last season. Among them Manuel Feller, who also dreams of lifting that trophy for the first time in his career, but as mentioned it is all open to at least another ten athletes, also for the absolute success in the cup. Alex Vinatzer has to believe it, he has the level to play it on any type of slope, but clearly he will have to find that continuity which, according to what emerges from the work carried out after the change of materials chosen in the spring, a renewed confidence could give him to go in the meantime to conquer the first victory in CdM. Daniel Yule and Loic Meillard are the two main points of the Swiss home, where Ramon Zenhaeusern also wants to bring back there, conditioned by a shoulder problem for practically a whole year in 2021/22. Austria has many arrows in their bow, because if it is difficult to think of a Michael Matt from the very first positions with continuity, here is Marco Schwarz and the revelation of the last season, Johannes Strolz, can aim for the maximum loot. The fourth Norwegian, and it is strange to say it because we are talking about the reigning world champion, is Sebastian Foss-Solevaag and the continuity of an expert specialist like him must be taken into consideration, in a discipline where always collecting points will make the difference. Dave Ryding, but also Linus Strasser himself, are veterans who both won last year and cannot be underestimated, like Giuliano Razzoli who, practically 38 years old (will celebrate them a week after the seasonal debut of Val d '' Isère), came back by force in the world top 15 and on a podium like that of Wengen, even touching the Olympic one. The 2010 Vancouver gold has never been played until the end of a World Cup, it cannot be excluded that at the last dance it may really be there with everyone else, given the level shown (for the whole season!) in the last months. Italy has also discovered a splendid Tommaso Sala, with the first podium of his career not too far away, he seeks answers from "Sabo" Gross and from the very young, Saccardi and Kastlunger in the first place. Let's not forget Adrian Pertl's return to full capacity, who is still the vice world champion of the specialty, and of that “wild madman” of Kristoffer Jakobsen, red bib at the start of a season that ended badly for the Swede who, at times, showed us extraordinary things.
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