Having just returned from Madonna di Campiglio, where he obtained a good 15th place, Tanguy Nef presents himself more confident than ever at the dawn of this very important month of January for slalom skiers. Having had a promising start to the season, including a 5th place in Levi, Tanguy Nef has finally found the consistency that he has so often lacked in recent seasons. “Right now, I’m really on solid footing. I still have a few details to adjust to perform well in all conditions. In particular, I am missing kilometers on icy tracks but I am on the right path,” he confides.
Off the slopes, the Geneva slalom rider also freed himself from a certain burden by finding a personal sponsor for his helmet. “Looking for a sponsor during the season is always complicated, it requires a lot of energy,” he admits. “But I am very happy to have been able to find a Swiss partner” which is none other than Prima Klima, a company specializing in heating, refrigeration and air conditioning. Comfortable on his skis and free in his head, Tanguy Nef approaches the classics of January with confidence and determination.
First meeting in Adelboden
In Adelboden, the Genevan skier finds a slope that perfectly suits his style of skiing. “It’s my favorite race. It’s not the most technical slope but, like Madonna, you have to ski with heart and attack. Although he remains on two consecutive eliminations in the Bernese Oberland, Tanguy Nef wants to be resolutely positive. In 2021, he was close to the podium, finishing in an excellent 6th place just 0″23 behind the winner, the Austrian Marco Schwarz. “It’s still one of my best results in the World Cup today. I remember being one of the fastest over the final wall that year. This shows that I can perform well here. »
An expected crazy atmosphere
-While he is delighted to take on the legendary Chuenisbärgli piste, Tanguy Nef also intends to take advantage of the unique atmosphere reigning in the Bernese Oberland. “Here, we feel like home. We are very well received, whether by the organizers, our hosts or the supporters.” This year, Swiss slalom racers should enjoy even greater fervor than usual. Indeed, due to rather pessimistic weather forecasts, the organizers decided to swap the dates of the giant and the slalom. Traditionally more numerous on Saturday, the public should give an extraordinary welcome to the short turn specialists.
What makes you feel a certain form of pressure? This should not be the case if we are to believe the Genevan. “I am not someone who is under a lot of pressure, particularly because of my status in the team but above all because of my character. » On the contrary, the prospect of performing in front of such a large number of spectators delights him.
“In recent years, we have envied the giantists a little. After his victories, I saw Marco Odermatt having some really good Saturday nights,” he laughs. If he admits to having “held back” during the end-of-year holidays, Tanguy Nef would not be against the idea of celebrating a Swiss podium on the evening of the slalom. “I hope that we too can have an opportunity to party after the race on Saturday.” What if it was him, the man who brought Switzerland its first slalom podium in the Oberland since Daniel Yule’s victory in 2020?
Quentin Hiroz/LMO, Adelboden
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