Alpine Skiingmen's world cup
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Sunday the opening of the World Cup also for men: the giant from Soelden proposes the holder of the crystal ball, already winner twice on the Rettenbach, as the first favorite.
Thursday 21 October 2021 14 minutes reading time
After analyzing the global situation for the female giant that will open the 2021/22 season on Saturday, let's make the cards at the men's race on Sunday, on Rettenbach in Soelden (1st heat at 10.00, the second at 13.30).
Prediction open but ... not too much, even if the triumph of Lucas Braathen (highly anticipated on his return) a year ago tells us how much it is possible to overturn the hierarchies especially in the debut on the Austrian snow.
PINTURAULT, ODERMATT, FAIVRE: 5 stars
He won here twice, in 2016 beating Hirscher and in 2019 (in the middle two canceled editions ...) dominating in front of Faivre and Kranjec, before coming off the podium last year, precisely in the season that then led him to win everything, except for the world race in Cortina. Alexis Pinturault is the first favorite for the opening, there is no doubt, he who knows how to adapt perfectly to the Rettenbach in all its facets, from the initial section of medium slope to the central "wall", up to the very long final plateau.
Marco Odermatt likes it, however: 2nd in 2020, just 5 cents from Braathen, after throwing the podium the previous year, the Swiss will start the assault on the absolute World Cup from Soelden. as well as the specialty one, in which Pinturault preceded him at the Lenzerheide finals. The third name we make for the “5 stars” is that of Mathieu Faivre: the transalpine has changed gears from the Cortina World Championships onwards and has a sweet memory in Soelden, 2nd in 2019 for the French double.
There is no question of talent, now the Isola 2000 boy will have to find continuity to play a cup of discipline absolutely in his strings.
ZUBCIC, BRENNSTEINER, MEILLARD: 4 stars
One of the most continuous gigantists of recent years is certainly Filip Zubcic. The Croatian perhaps prefers more complete and varied slopes than the Rettenbach, but there is little doubt that he will be up there after having done a very good preparation.
Stefan Brennsteiner was the revelation of the second part of last season, together with the rediscovered Faivre: the Austrian raised, after the darkness after Hirscher, the movement of the Wunderteam in giant and is now an absolute reference. He will not start in the first sub-group of the 7, but it should not particularly affect given the conditions expected on Sunday: in the last 4 cup giants he has never left the top five, winning two podiums in Bansko and Kranjska Gora.
Here then is Loic Meillard, who in terms of continuity has little to learn and revolves around his first victory in a giant of CdM for some time: who knows that Soelden, where he finished 5th last year, may not be the right place to succeed.
DE ALIPRANDINI, KRANJEC, G. CAVIEZEL: 3 stars
Luca De Aliprandini did not experience a very simple summer, with not 100% complete preparation, but there is still confidence for a good start on a track he likes. The Trentino player has an important opportunity and also a responsibility, starting from the title of vice world champion and from the top 7 of the WCSL, to be defended by starting with heavy points and perhaps taking that first podium in the cup that he still lacks.
Tenth in 2016, eighth in 2019, again on the border of the top ten last year: the results of the blue on the Rettenbach are more than good.
Zan Kranjec, who in Soelden finished 3rd in 2019 and 4th in 2016, "puncturing" only the 2020 race before experiencing a really complicated season between physical troubles and family problems with the death of his father, will be a "clientaccio" for many.
The Slovenian has the potential to fight for success, not just the podium. That podium that Gino Caviezel conquered for the first and only time in Soelden, 12 months ago: third behind Braathen and Odermatt after setting the best time in the 1st heat, the 29-year-old Swiss did not repeat himself at the same level in the course of 2020/21, but still finished 9th and 7th in the last two giants of Kranjska Gora and Lenzerheide.
2 STARS IN SIX WITH ... THREE NORGE
Henrik Kristoffersen has never had a great feeling with the Rettenbach, to put it mildly. The best placement, just one tenth from the podium and with the 5th place finish, came just last year, before starting a slow descent that, between the wide doors, brought the 2019 world champion even out of the first below. WCSL group.
HK94 worked hard in the summer to find himself in the giant, while on the other hand there is one of the emerging specialists of the specialty, that Thibaut Favrot 4th in Bansko and who could be the third Frenchman in the fight for an important placement already on Sunday. Justin Murisier will be the third / fourth striker of a great Switzerland, while Austria expects a lot from Marco Schwarz also in this discipline, but the Carinthian himself has tried to keep the spotlight on him off these days, remembering that he has obtained the podium only in the world race in Cortina.
Among the most anticipated men, and it would not be surprising immediately for a good result considering their great qualities, there are clearly Lucas Braathen and Atle Lie McGrath: the two Norwegian twins born in 2000 have not competed since 8 January 2021, when they injured their knee in Adelboden's first date. The damage was more serious for "Pinheiro", who broke the crusader after winning in Soelden (even if later, in the December races, he remained far from the podium), while the 2nd of the giant on the Gran Risa resumed a little earlier. They will entertain us, perhaps already on Sunday ...
KILDE'S RETURN AND ... NOT ONLY
The other great Norway homecoming, the most important from an absolute World Cup perspective, is that of Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. Nine months after the crash at the Crusader, the ace who grew up in Baerum has resumed in August on the snow, but was still in doubt for the opening, before dissolving the reserve, until a few days ago. He will hardly be able to fight for the top ten, but it will be very interesting to see what level he will propose in the giant, where he was literally flying until the moment of the injury.
Roland Leitinger obtained the best result of his career in giant in Soelden, but it was the distant 2015 (sixth place then equaled in 2020 in Adelboden), Victor Muffat-Jeandet looks for answers even among the wide doors in addition to the rediscovered slalom, while Norway will be able to still count on the experience of Nestvold-Haugen and look for a placement from Rasmus Windingstad that can restore confidence to the winner of the parallel in Alta Badia. Attention to the Germany of Alexander Schmid and Stefan Luitz, who start out from 15 but whose potential we know well, Manuel Feller instead has not expressed himself for some time with quality in giant, but last season he was amazing in slalom.
If we have to wait a little longer to see the best Ryan Cochran-Siegle post injury, thinking above all of speed, let's close the review of the names to keep an eye on with the other Azzurri. Riccardo Tonetti and Giovanni Borsotti sail in the 30s and represent the guarantee of still bringing points, even if the dream is to return to play for "heavy" placings, while Hannes Zingerle and Simon Maurberger are expected from the rear, back at the starting gate of a giant after a season of slalom only, to better recover from the crusader injury of February 2020.
And then there is a lot of curiosity about Alex Vinatzer's debut between the wide doors, who has a lot of potential even in the giant, and about the first real year as "owners" in the World Cup of Filippo Della Vite, already in the points in Bansko with a great comeback, and Giovanni Franzoni. Goal pass for the 2nd heat, far from impossible.
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Giant slalom Male Soelden (AUT)
ODERMATT Marco
LEITINGER Roland
KRANJEC Zan
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