Loïc Meillard is a real metronome and he confirmed it again at Madonna di Campiglio by taking 2nd place in the night slalom behind the whirling Bulgarian Albert Popov. In five slaloms this season, the Valaisan has been on the podium four times in short turns. “Things are going well at the moment,” explained the man who climbed on the box for the 25th time in his career. “When you have confidence, you can allow yourself to push more and do things you wouldn’t normally do. This is what helps me be fast. »
However, everything was not easy on the Canalone Miramonti slope for the Hérémence skier who had to fight. “It wasn’t the easiest race. Afterwards it wasn’t difficult, but it was difficult to go fast. » Still, Loïc Meillard was solid, taking advantage of skiing on the course of his coach Matteo Joris in the second round. “I still made some small mistakes,” he told SRF. “I wasn’t always on the pace, but I was still able to put in a good performance. »
A first since Ramon Zenhäusern in 2020
And the icing on the cake, the Valaisan takes the lead in the discipline ranking with 10 points ahead of the Norwegian Henrik Kristoffersen and 85 over the Frenchman Clément Noël. “I’m already looking forward to wearing the red leader’s bib at home in Adelboden on Saturday. » An honor that few Swiss slalom racers can be proud of, if we obviously omit the slalom racers and Camille Rast recently.
The last to have had this privilege was Ramon Zenhäusern after winning the first slalom of the 2020-2021 season at Alta Badia. We then have to go back to 2007 and Marc Gini to find traces of another Swiss short corner specialist to wear the red jersey.
-Daniel Yule regains his feelings
Another Valais athlete was smiling this Wednesday evening, Daniel Yule in this case. The skier from La Fouly, after a mixed start to the season, reassured himself on his favorite slope of Madonna di Campiglio where he had won three times in the past. With a 7th place, he signed his best result of the winter, enough to fully launch him into this month of slaloms. “I take the positive, I showed excellent skiing and that feels good. Finding this trail did me good. I am satisfied to have lifted my head, especially here where I have very good memories. I hope to show the same face for the January classics,” he said at the microphone of Eurosport, with a touch of disappointment all the same to finish 36 hundredths off the podium after having made a big mistake at the bottom of the second round. “I’m a little frustrated but I’ll take this result. »
Johan Tachet/LMO
