Departure Val Gardena
“Pure thrill”: Marco Odermatt makes the difference in just 18 seconds of driving – but fears victory until the end
If Marco Odermatt hadn't driven the key section of the Val Gardena descent perfectly – he wouldn't have won the race. Two Swiss people are also among the “victims” of Ciaslat. Franjo von Alles lost 88 hundredths of a second there and still came second.
The ski world as we Swiss know it is back in balance. With his victory in the Val Gardena downhill race, Marco Odermatt has taken the lead in the overall World Cup. It took ten races – although the man from Nidwalden did not compete in the three slaloms.
Big celebration from Marco Odermatt after the victory.
Bild: Alessandro Trovati/AP
And yet it was an unusual sight that Marco Odermatt was not at the top of the ranking of the very best. He has recently won the big crystal ball three times. And the fact that the fourth overall victory will be added this winter was considered an unwritten rule before the season.
But then two failures in the giant slaloms in Sölden and Beaver Creek meant that this rule was briefly shaken. Although the 27-year-old also won a race during this phase (Super-G in Beaver Creek) and finished second once (downhill at the same place), many people no longer understood the world. Odermatt himself says it like this: “I was just justifying myself, it was a new situation.”
Odermatt manages the key passage perfectly
At least now the ski world is back in order. And Odermatt acknowledged this loudly: A strong “yes” echoed several times through the finish area in Val Gardena. The 27-year-old made the difference on Saturday in the very technical Ciaslat. If the man from Nidwalden hadn't even managed the key passage perfectly – it would never have been enough to win.
As is often the case, the track became faster as the race continued. Martin Carter with start number 42 came within 50 hundredths of Odermatt. And that despite the fact that he was 60 hundredths slower in the Ciaslat. Or Stefan Eichberger: The Austrian lost 74 hundredths in the key passage and was sixth at the finish, 52 hundredths behind Odermatt.
Odermatt had already announced it very early in the race – knowing how crazy the outcome of the race in Val Gardena can be: “You have to come to Ciaslat with a lot of green so that you can beat me.” And the Nidwaldner's prophecy came true in the end.
Franjo von Allmen drove an almost perfect race – with the exception of the key point. It was still enough for second place.
Bild: Alessandro Trovati / AP
The “victims” of the key point also include two Swiss: Franjo von Alles was 88 (!) hundredths slower than Odermatt in the 18 seconds of driving – and ended up in second place! The 23-year-old had an amazing ride with start number 4, with the exception of the Ciaslat. And was rewarded with the second podium finish of his career.
Lars Rösti missed the sensation in the Ciaslat
But von Allmen, who ultimately lost 45 hundredths on Odermatt, also had to tremble. Nils Alegre (fourth place) was only two hundredths of a second slower than the Swiss, while Ryan Cochran-Siegle in third place was only one.
And then there was Lars Rösti. With start number 34, he drove into the Ciaslat with an 86 hundredths of a second lead over Odermatt, but completely missed the key point. Only five of the 64 starters were slower in this passage. Nevertheless, the Bernese rider ended up in twelfth place. Franjo von Alles said: “It was pure thrill. That's what wears you down.”
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