Levi's men's slalom guide: Kristoffersen and Noel in the forefront of the predictions, but how many challengers ...

Sunday morning (10.15 am and 1.15 pm) the first specialty with the Norwegian and the French as a duel, but Pinturault, Swiss and Austrians are buzzing.

Saturday 23 November 2019 8 minutes reading time

Levi's men's slalom, the second round of the 2019/2020 World Cup, is perhaps one of the most uncertain races of recent times. Yes, because without Marcel Hirscher at the starting gate, even more than in giant is among the rapid gates where at least a dozen athletes could gamble on it from the podium ... and not only. Start on Levi Black scheduled at 10.15 am (2nd run at 1.15 pm, both live on Raisport and Eurosport TV), with two names that are shown on all: Henrik Kristoffersen and ClÃ©ment Noel. The first would be, for palmares and not only, the natural heir of Hirscher in this specialty, but last year he showed some flaws and started the season in Soelden far from good. The French is the new advancing, he won three slalom in his first full year in the World Cup, but he had to live in September with back problems that now seem to be solved; last year, Noel threw the first podium in his career by coming out a few doors from the end when at least the third place was already certain, but he likes a track that, as far as Kristoffersen is concerned, is where the Norwegian won his second CdM race (2014 edition), with double second place in 2017 and 2018. Daniel Yule, Ramon Zenhaeusern, Alexis Pinturault, Manuel Feller and Michael Matt will also be in the first group; in order, the two Swiss players play very important cards after winning their first Cup slalom in the last year (Yule in Campiglio, Zenhaeusern in Kranjska Gora). The Frenchman and cup leader showed he has returned to very high levels in this discipline, with great continuity throughout the past season, but will have the pressure of having to make a loot of weight from the general cup perspective, the real great goal of Alexis. As for Feller and Matt, especially on a slope like Levi's they have every chance to fight for the podium at least; 8th in WCSL (counting the withdrawal of Hirscher) there is the returning Marco Schwarz, in the pits since February 22nd when in Bansko he damaged the left knee crusader, but capable of formidable heats in 2018/19, his best year before the crash in the Bulgarian combined. It would be the ideal track, the Levi Black, to start as the first favorite, but it is obvious that the Carinthian (who missed the Soelden giant having too few training in his legs) can hardly be close to his 100%. From 8th to 15th, we will also find Dave Ryding, called to an important season after the effort shown last winter, a Christian Hirschbuehl in search of continuity, AndrÃ¨ Myhrer who in these parts won (2012) and decided to continue at least another year dedicating himself only to the slalom, besides Loic Meillard (he does not get on the podium from his first and only career in the specialty, last December 20th in Saalbach), Victor Muffat-Jeandet and ... the Azzurri. Manfred Moelgg and Stefano Gross will represent Casa Italia in the second sub-group, with the 37-year-old Maremma who has sweet memories in Finland (3rd in 2016, the only men's podium for the Azzurri after Rocca 2006), while the Fassano has the unknown a post-operation return to the crusader last March and, above all, a few days of "real" training. Just outside the top 15, here is the other veteran of the group: Giuliano Razzoli said he was far from the best shape and Levi never shone, although on paper it should be an ideal slope (at least in the first 30 seconds of the race) for the characteristics of the Olympic champion. The blue troops will also have Alex Vinatzer in the 30s, who started here two years ago and is aiming for the consecration season, but will have to start with important points and the approach to the top 10, never reached in his career. And then a quintet that will have many chances of qualifying for the second run, because both the re-entering Sala and Liberatore, that the various Maurbergers, Tonetti and the same Bacher, have the quality to re-enter in the 30s, despite the starting bib. And the rest of the world? Eye to the Slovenian Hadalin, to the pair of French "old men" composed of Lizeroux and Grange, to the young Croatian troops and to the possible revival of Aerni and Foss-Solevaag. History tells us that in Levi the multi-winner in business is Jean Baptiste Grange with two successes (2008 and 2010), the absolute one, needless to say, Marcel Hirscher with a hat-trick signed in 2013, 2016 and last year.

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