Kist Crashes:

There is already a serious fall in the Kitzbühel Super-G. A former world champion and veteran from France is hit. Alexis Pinturault had just made a comeback.

Former overall World Cup winner Alexis Pinturault had a serious fall in the super-G in Kitzbühel and was flown away by helicopter. The French ski racer twisted his knee in the accident. There was initially no diagnosis following Pinturault’s fall. The 33-year-old had first torn his cruciate ligament in a fall in Wengen in the previous season and then made his comeback this winter.

At the finish line of the legendary and infamous Streif, Pinturault’s wife Romane was waiting for her dad with their daughter in her arms – when he fell, his wife slapped her hand over her mouth in shock.

Odermatt: “It didn’t look good”

“That hurts extremely if you know Alexis’ story a bit,” said Marco Odermatt, the leading Swiss rider at the time, on ZDF. “He’s one of the nicest guys on the Tour. I only wish him the best – but it didn’t look good.” At the scene of the accident on a left-hand bend near the Seidlalm, other riders had already had problems before three-time world champion Pinturault.

And shortly afterwards, Pinturault’s team-mate Florian Loriot crashed on the same left-hand bend and hit his head. He was also flown away by a rescue helicopter.

French skiers hit hard by crashes

The French team has been hit hard this winter: Last year’s Kitzbühel double winner Cyprien Sarrazin crashed heavily in Bormio after Christmas and had to have an operation on his head. It is unclear whether he will ever be able to race again.

As every year, the topic of safety was a particular focus in Kitzbühel. Riders, officials and experts are puzzling over how racing can be made less dangerous. The downhill on the Streif is scheduled for Saturday (11.30 am).