In the downhill classic on the “Stelvio” victory goes to the Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr. The best German was Romed Baumann. It was disappointing for Dominik Schwaiger and Josef Ferstl.
Challenging, exhausting, spectacular: In Bormio, the speed skiers once again plunged into a downhill race from the steepest start of the Ski World Cup. The “Stelvio” is one of the most difficult and technically demanding routes in the course of the season. Also on Wednesday (12/28/22) it demanded a lot of courage and fitness from the athletes.
Kriechmayr celebrates second downhill success
World Champion Vincent Kriechmayr drew the most direct line down and set the best time of 1:54.68 minutes. Surprisingly, the Canadian James Crawford (+0.40) came closest to the Austrian. Downhill dominator Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, winner in Lake Louise, Beaver Creek and Gröden, finished third, 68 hundredths behind and had to admit defeat to Kriechmayr for the second time in the season. World Cup leader Marco Odermatt (SUI) increased his points account by coming fourth.
There would have been more for Baumann
In the DSV team only Romed Baumann (+3.22 sec.) was able to collect World Cup points. The 36-year-old veteran showed a solid performance and found himself in the top 15 after 30 riders. “It is extremely difficult to find the right set-up“Said Baumann in the ZDF interview. From his point of view, there could have been more in the final section.”Even if three seconds are a lot behind, it wasn’t that bad“, his conclusion.
Schwaiger and Ferstl out of the race early
For Josef Ferstl and Dominik Schwaiger, on the other hand, the hot ride came to an end prematurely. Schwaiger had been going fast, but after just a few seconds he lost his left ski after a hit in extreme cornering. The Upper Bavarian solved the situation acrobatically and was able to prevent a fall. “It doesn’t necessarily have to be that the ski opens“, Schwaiger was annoyed about the “third race without points.“
Team-mate Josef Festl, on the other hand, suffered a blunder shortly after the start. The 33-year-old fell back on the second wave and fell on landing. But remained unhurt, as he quickly signaled on the slope. In the ZDF interview, however, he then admitted the pain. He wanted to have the cause clarified after the race.
DSV team thinned out
The speed team of the German Ski Association (DSV) was thinly manned at the last World Cup station of the year: Top skier Thomas Dreßen, like Simon Jocher, was absent due to injury, Andreas Sander is ill and Luis Vogt is preparing for the Junior World Championships in the European Cup.