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Every year, the fastest skiers in Austria are reminded before the start of sprint competitions how long ago they were the last balls of the World Cup. In 2008 Hannes Reichelt won the Super-G, in 2012 Klaus Kröll won the relegation.
The former is still there at age 40, but after a torn cruciate ligament, the Radstadt veteran has the least pressure. Vincent Kriechmayr (photo) and Matthias Mayer hope to be among the top finishers this weekend in Val d’Isere.
“We are finally starting,” is the unanimous tenor in the Austrian speed field. Men typically start the season at Lake Louise in late November, due to the crown, races overseas were not scheduled this year.
Due to the weather forecast, the program in French Savoie was reversed, the Super-G starts on Saturday (starting at 10:30 am on the LAOLA1 live ticker), followed by the start on Sunday (also at 10 : 30 am LIVE). With Val Gardena and Bormio, two more blocks of sprinting are scheduled for the Men’s World Cup before the turn of the year.
Not falling asleep at the start will be perhaps more important than usual this winter. As a reminder: after the cancellation of the Super-G in Kvitjell due to bad weather and the cancellation of the last week in Cortina d’Ampezzo for the season ended suddenly.
The Swiss Mauro Caviezel and Beat Feuz defend the glass
The Swiss Mauro Caviezel won the Super-G-Kugel with a three point advantage over Kriechmayr of Upper Austria. The starting glass was for his compatriot Beat Feuz. Because the Kranjska Gora weekend was also canceled, Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde was able to call himself the overall World Cup winner for the first time.
“Being in the front from the start, then we will certainly ride around a ball,” said speed boss Sepp Brunner when asked about the crystal route. “Get as many points as possible from the beginning. I think that’s very, very important this year because a lot can happen in the season. And it’s also very important that we stay healthy. That we don’t catch something and you sometimes say, then we have a problem. “
His team with Kriechmayr, Mayer, Reichelt and Daniel Danklmaier was saved from Covid-19, but the group that Max Franz belongs to was not.
Austria had twelve podiums last season in the two sprinting disciplines, all attributable to two athletes. Mayer entered the downhill races at Kitzbühel and Kvitfjell, as well as the Lake Louise Super-G as the winner, while Kriechmayr hit the Super-G at Val Gardena and Hinterstoder. The Austrians won the last race in each of the two disciplines in winter 2019/20.
Coach Sepp Brunner: “The descent in Val d’Isere suits us”
Brunner sees the Austrian sprint team in a better position overall, even behind this year’s best, he saw in practice getting closer and closer to the duo. In any case, Brunner looks forward to the French races with confidence: “This is a descent that suits us, it has some technical elements.”
Kriechmayr wants to try less to keep the ball in his head, but to improve from race to race. After changing materials, you are curious to see how you will implement what you have already acquired and new experiences. “So far I am very satisfied.”
The descent is not as spectacular as others, but that does not make it less difficult. As the only one of ÖSV’s athletes in Val d’Isere, he has already competed in all four World Cup races of the season to get into race pace.
“I’m very happy that it’s starting. We just can’t have two minutes of adequate stress together in training,” Mayer said. He described the “OK” track as “maybe not the hardest, but an easy descent.” Four years ago men were on this track for the last time, at which point ÖSV pulled away again with disappointing downhill positions 17 for Mayer and 18 for Kriechmayr, in Super-G Franz was tenth.
“It is interesting that we are not here every year and that there is always something new for everyone. The terrain changes slightly. The descent is relatively technical, but also very flat at the top and has good glide passages. It has everything in it. It is a very good start for all of us, ”Mayer believes.
The fact that the Super-G takes place before relegation does not make any difference to the double Olympic champion. “Two good races are important.” As for the defeated speed ball, they are well on their way. “It has always been the goal, it will also be this year.”
Hannes Reichelt hopes to “gain momentum” after knee injury
Reichelt had broken his knee on the Bormio descent in late December. He hopes to keep going with the races. “I have to feel my way. I know there is a lot to do, that I have to improve.”
He also found that the head plays an important role when it comes to borderline situations. Start thinking, that means facing it. “It means being cooler again,” said the Salzburg native.
South Tyrolean Dominik Paris is also making a comeback, who tore his cruciate ligament in top form in January during Super-G training at Kirchberg before the Hahnenkamm races. Thomas Dreßen is absent after hip surgery, the German was the second best downhill skier behind Feuz and ahead of Mayer last winter.
Text as: © LAOLA1.at
Ski Alpin: Programmänderung in Val d’Isere
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