Loïc Meillard won his 25th World Cup podium on Wednesday. The Hérémence skier finished 2nd in the Madonna di Campiglio night slalom, won by the astonishing Bulgarian Albert Popov, to take the lead in the discipline rankings. Daniel Yule ranked 7th, and Tanguy Nef 15th.
KEYSTONE
Second on the first course, 0”62 behind the Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath, Loïc Meillard could do nothing against Albert Popov, author of a fiery second lap which allowed him to move from 8th to 1st place. But he held on to the shock, unlike McGrath who made a mistake on an icy track.
Meillard finally conceded 0”44 to Albert Popov, who at the age of 27 won his first success on the Cirque Blanc. His consistency this winter in slalom is dazzling: 3rd, 5th, 3rd, 2nd and 2nd again. This allows him to take 1st place in the slalom World Cup, 10 points ahead of Henrik Kristoffersen (5th Wednesday).
-Winner in 2018, 2020 and 2022 for Madonna, Daniel Yule did not achieve such a feat. The Valaisan, 18th after the initial round, managed a good comeback to obtain his best result of the season (7th). He is gaining momentum, but an error made on the second course probably cost him a place in the top 5.
Tanguy Nef, 19th at 0”03 from his compatriot at the end of the first round, however did not find the solution in the second round. The Genevan took advantage of the numerous eliminations to enter the final top 15. But he was far from being at the level that allowed him to finish 5th in mid-November in Levi.
Eliminated by the Greens
The fourth Swiss present in the second round, Noel von Grünigen however missed the boat. The 29-year-old Bernese, who is no longer part of Swiss-Ski executives, made an error a few doors from the finish. This elimination is frustrating for a skier who has only scored points three times in the World Cup.
Related News :