Alexis Monney enjoyed an unexpected first success in the World Cup on Saturday. The 24-year-old from Friborg won the difficult descent in Bormio, beating Bernese Franjo von Allmen by 24 hundredths for a second consecutive Swiss double in the premier discipline.
If second place for von Allmen, already classified in this place in Val Gardena behind Marco Odermatt a week earlier, was possible, few people would have bet on such an exploit from Alexis Monney. The skier from Châtel-St-Denis has so far posted an 8th place – on the no less demanding Streif in Kitzbühel last January – as his best result at this level.
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Victim in March 2023 of a partial rupture of the internal ligament of the right knee, Alexis Monney had certainly taken 3rd place in the first training session on the Stelvio after finishing 13th in downhill and 17th in super-G at Beaver Creek. But nothing suggested such a resounding victory.
The 2020 junior downhill world champion topped the proceedings for his 36th World Cup start. The Bernese Franjo von Allmen (23 years old) was equal on the majority of the course, but he lost 18 hundredths on the last sector and will be satisfied with a third podium on the White Circus.
Third, the Canadian Cameron Alexander conceded 0”72 to the winner of the day. The boss of men’s skiing Marco Odermatt finished 5th at 0”80, just ahead of Valaisan Justin Murisier (6th at 0”81). Marco Kohler (9th) and Stefan Rogentin (11th) complete the superb overall performance of the Swiss downhillers.
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