09:48
Rasmus Windingstad (NOR)
Rasmus Windingstad is the next rider who has to deal with the rough slopes, especially in the middle and lower sections, and loses a lot of time. At 4.84 seconds, he is even more behind than Feller and is in last place.
09:47
Manuel Feller (AUT)
Phew! In the slalom a few weeks ago Feller was the one to beat, but today he doesn’t have much to report. Feller loses his line early on and then makes a big mistake at the bottom that almost costs him the loss – he actually just bites through from there. With 3.22 seconds behind at the finish, the day was probably over for him.
09:45
Raphael Haaser (AUT)
There’s the next failure! This time Raphael Haaser from the ÖSV team gets it. In the upper part he is very careful and therefore breaks down early, in the lower section he slips in the area that has already caused problems for many drivers.
09:43
Zan Kranjec (SLO)
Žan Kranjec is also one of the favorites today. Can he put Odermatt under pressure again? Neither! He also quickly finds himself almost a second behind Odermatt and can no longer catch up. He also ends up well behind last winter’s Dominator.
09:41
Alexis Pinturault (FRA)
It is already clear how this course challenges drivers today! After an early mistake in a key spot, Alexis Pinturault will also have to fight for the line. He loses more and more time on the way down and gets over the line with a disappointing time. So far the Frenchman has been the slowest in the field.
09:39
Marco Schwarz (AUT)
What can the first competitor from Austria deliver? The first few goals, where Odermatt made a big mistake, he was still ahead, but then “Blacky” also started to struggle, kept slipping away and couldn’t make his swings cleanly. With 1.23 seconds he will have to settle for fourth place.
09:38
Gino Caviezel (SUI)
Annoying! Gino Caviezel started his run well, but then he made his first mistake and lost a lot of time. When he drives through the gate, it’s over. Caviezel is eliminated.
09:36
Marco Odermatt (SUI)
What a ride! Marco Odermatt made a big mistake shortly after his start and was already falling behind. Even after that, it’s not the cleanest run from a technical point of view, but it’s really fast and he crosses the finish line with a lead of 65 hundredths. Have we already seen the fastest time of the round?
09:34
Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR)
Henrik Kristoffersen needs some time to get into it. In the steep middle part of the race, the Norwegian showed an outstanding performance, allowing him to take the lead despite initially being behind and bring him all the way to the finish. But he won’t be completely happy, because there was still more possible.
09:32
Loïc Meillard (SUI)
Loïc Meillard is the first driver to throw himself out of the starting gate. The conditions are good, the race is very twisty and challenges the riders from the first gate. What can Meillard present? The Swiss showed a good technical performance, had no problems and finished at the bottom with a recommended time of 1:10.92 minutes.
09:26
The ÖSV squad
Manuel Feller (9) is currently leading the World Cup after his victory in the Gurgl Slalom and today he will certainly have to be taken into account when it comes to the places further up the field. In addition to him, Marco Schwarz (5) and Raphael Haaser (8) are also likely to have chances in the ÖSV squad. We will also see Stefan Brennsteiner (15) and Patrick Feuerstein (24) in the starting group of the first 30 athletes. Roland Leitinger (43), Noel Zwischenbrugger (57) and Fabio Gstrein as the 71st and last athlete complete the Austrian team.
09:20
Meillard in waiting position
In addition to Odermatt, the Swiss have another hot iron in the fire today with Loïc Meillard. He already has starting number one today. Odermatt then follows with the three. You also have to have Gino Caviezel (4) on the bill. Thomas Tumler (17) and Justin Murisier (29) also have a starting place in the top 30. For Livio Simonet (32), Marco Fischbacher (35), Josua Mettler (36), Semyel Bissig (51) and Fadri Janutin (52) and Sandro Zurbruegg (69) will have to work their way further up the starting numbers.
09:16
Smith returns
Alexander Schmid will be returning to the World Cup in France and will be the eleventh athlete to take to the slopes. After the German tore his cruciate ligament in training shortly after his gold medal at the World Cup, he can now make his comeback after a nine-month break. “I’m doing well. I can now ski without pain. I still take a break from training here and there to control the load as best as possible, but that’s normal,” explained Schmid before his return. Next to him are Anton Grammel (64), Fabian Gratz (37) and Jonas Stockinger (55).
09:10
How fit is Odermatt?
On paper, Marco Odermatt is of course the clear favorite this weekend. However, the Swiss is not in top form after a lumbago in Beaver Creek, so it will be interesting to see whether he can bounce back in the race. Odermatt’s biggest rival on Saturday will probably be Henrik Kristoffersen, who was on the podium six times in the giant slalom last season. But the Slovenian Zan Kranjec is also definitely on the bill.
09:05
Only one competition in the box
So far, the alpine skiing season for men has been one-sided and only one slalom competition could be held in Gurgl. The giant slalom in Sölden had to be canceled, as well as the downhill runs in Zermatt and Beaver Creek as well as the Super-G, which should also have taken place in Beaver Creek. Things should now work again in Val d’Isère and the second winner of the winter will be crowned.
08:58
Welcome!
Hello and welcome to the men’s giant slalom in Val d’Isère. The first round starts at 9:30 a.m. before the final at 1:00 p.m.