Giant: Odermatt revanchist, Blues at home
Everyone is attacking the Face de Bellevarde. The Val d’Isère meeting always remains a special moment in the World Cup calendar. The Critérium de la Première neige (69e edition) is also an important weekend for French skiing, ready to party at the foot of this very special slope. “It’s a fight,” the actors like to repeat, all aware of the difficulty of the mission.
The first meeting of the avalin weekend is therefore the giant this Saturday (9:30 a.m. and 1 p.m.), the third of the season. Winner last year and still successful in Val, Marco Odermatt does not arrive with great confidence this time with his two “zero points” from Sölden and Beaver Creek (a third in a row after that of the 2024 finals). He will be expected at the heart of a solid Swiss team (Tumler winner at Beaver Creek, Meillard, Caviezel, etc.). Also to follow are Norway (without Steen Olsen injured in the knee), the Slovenian Kranjec and the whimsical Brazilian (and Norwegian) Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, always there to put on a show.
Led by Alexis Pinturault, rather efficient for his return from injury last weekend in the United States (10e a super-G, 16e in giant), the French giants with Thibaut Favrot intend to shine at home. Even Clément Noël, favorite for the Sunday slalom, will be on the track in his resort.
Belgium
