Linus Straßer is also the German hope in the slalom in the new season. The first race in Levi will be the first test for the 33-year-old, and not just in terms of sport.
Last winter only two DSV riders got World Cup points in the slalom. Anton Grammel is now concentrating even more on his flagship discipline, giant slalom. This means that the greatest pressure of expectations once again falls on Linus Straßer, who was most recently tenth in the Slalom World Cup rankings. For the 33-year-old from TSV 1860 Munich, a completely different challenge – of his own choosing – awaits him in the Olympic season.
Linus Straßer: Lots of imponderables Change of supplier
On Sunday in Levi, Straßer will start the race with new material for the first time. In the summer he changed supplier. A step that is associated with some imponderables and dangers: “I’m still very busy finding the right setup. The process will probably last into the season,” Straßer told BR24Sport.
Straßer feels good. But he couldn’t assess his current form, especially because of the new material – new skis, new bindings, new shoes. “I want to set myself a new task again. And that’s why I was willing to say that I would take the risk in order to get the most out of it for myself.” There is no question that the change is risky. Straßer knows: It can take a while, perhaps too long, for people and materials to harmonize. But this is taken into account.
“Slalom January” in view
Despite this, or perhaps because of the “new appeal,” the father of two, who has been a father of two since the summer, is heading into the new season feeling freshly motivated. The goals: to quickly get the material under control “in order to compete in the slalom in January as successfully as possible”. He has a few races in mind that he would like to compete for victory in. It’s not hard to guess which World Cups he means: Schladming and Kitzbühel are certainly at the top.
And then there is the Olympics. Then at the latest his risky bet should pay off. Straßer is well aware that – if it doesn’t work – he will have to put up with the question: “Was it so smart to change the material?” But, he also says: “In the end, it’s my career, my decision, my success and my failure.”
Sebastian Holzmann after cruciate ligament tear: “I’m ready”
In Levi, alongside Straßer, Sebastian Holzmann (SC Oberstdorf), Anton Tremmel (SC Rottach-Egern) and Dominik Zerhoch (SC Partenkirchen) are at the start for DSV. “I’ve been training very well recently, gaining self-confidence and now I’m really excited about my comeback,” said Holzmann, who is coming back from a torn cruciate ligament. “After the injury, it was a challenge for me to mentally push myself to the limit again. Finally I overcame myself. Now I’m ready.”
Anton Tremmel is also positive about the start of the season: “I like the slope and the memories are good too, because in Levi I qualified for the second round of the World Cup for the first time,” says the 30-year-old. For Dominik Zerhoch, his World Cup career is just beginning in Lapland: “I’m really looking forward to my first World Cup appearance and to being able to compete with the best slalom skiers in the world.”
The DSV squad for Levi
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Source: BR24Sport on the radio November 16, 2025 – 3:30 p.m
