Deprived of a giant, Victor Muffat-Jeandet in slalom mode
Times are changing. Excluding cancellations, Victor Muffat-Jeandet has always done giant and slalom during the Critérium de la Première neige since 2016. But this weekend, as during his debut at the highest level in 2010 and 2016, the all-rounder from the Val d 'Isère will have to settle for slalom. The staff decided not to field him as a giant on Saturday. The Savoyard learned it last Sunday during the giant of Beaver Creek. He initially suffered the blow before remotivating himself to challenge the Face de Bellevarde with very short turns. He – as often – had a slump in training in Courchevel with a third day alone, Friday, in the company of Mathias Rolland. “A good session,” sums up VMJ.
“The first decision is not my responsibility,” he recalls. Although I was in the 30 in Sölden, I did not express myself correctly in Beaver Creek and I was not selected. After reflection, given that I am the last in France to do giant and slalom, it becomes very heavy to manage. I never have time to prepare. I missed my first slaloms of the season, which were very icy, and while the slalom riders were making ice, I was in Sölden. I was always running after everything, always behind schedule, never really preparing. Perhaps it is time to say “goodbye” to the giant, but not “goodbye”. I won't stop myself from coming back one day. There is more potential in slalom, I can go higher. The discipline is simply more open than in giant, even if there is density, there are more possibilities. So I'm going to focus on that now, there are some great races coming up in January. »
France
