Alpine skiing – Garmisch-Partenkirchen: Henrik Kristoffersen still winner of the slalom, Alexis Pinturault 12th

There will be no eighth different winner in slalom this season. Definitely untouchable in Garmisch-Partenkirchen this weekend, already winner the day before, Henrik kristoffersen did it again this Sunday to win the second slalom contested in Germany, his second victory of the season in the discipline. The Norwegian was ahead of the Briton Dave Ryding (+0”35) and the German Linus Strasser (+0”47) and is taking advantage of his success to grab the red bib of the leader of the specialty. The only ranked Frenchman, Alexis Pinturault got stuck in the second heat and finished 12th.

Perfect weekend for Kristoffersen

Decidedly, it is not good to win the first round this season. With the exception of Clément Noël in Val d’Isère at the start of winter, the morning winner has never been able to confirm in second. And if the Frenchman succeeded, the rest of his season is very complicated in the World Cup, like his German weekend. Already released on Saturday, the Vosgien again made a mistake and said goodbye to his last hopes of a small globe in the first round, with a big interior mistake in the wall. Exactly the same as the one that trapped Loïc Meillard, yet the wide leader at the end of the 1st run.

Faults, Henrik Kristoffersen did not really make any. Of course, the Norwegian experienced some imbalances, especially in an extremely rotating wall which did a lot of damage (9 retirements). But he never lost the rhythm, making his experience speak. After a slightly more cautious top than usual, the previous day’s winner freed himself right where he needed to, on the transition section, to tackle the rest of the leg, less steep, with a maximum of speed.

And it is here that he widened the gap, taking over three tenths from all his opponents. Enough to afford a second success this weekend, the 26th of his career, and the red bib of slalom leader, with 49 points ahead of Braathen.

Disappointment but the best for Pintu

The Norwegian was however only 8th at the end of the first heat, but he is the only one of the eight (with the incredible Spaniard Joaquim Salarich, 7th) to have held his rank in a second heat conducive to big comebacks. Among the first six in this slalom, he is the only one to have been in the top 15 of the morning run. Authors of the two best times of the second heat, Marco Schwarz (5th) and Lucas Braathen (4th) started from too far (26th and 24th) to hope to grab the podium.

Especially against an unleashed Dave Ryding on the track of his trainer. A course that did not seem to correspond to the qualities of the Briton, and yet. Here he is, dolphin of Kristoffersen, just in front of the German Linus Strasser, very happy with this podium at home.

A podium that Alexis Pinturault necessarily dreamed of, especially after his 5th place in the first round. But the Courchevel skier, despite being quite fair and precise on the wall, never knew how to change pace when the slope leveled out. Too calm, not committed enough, the Habs finally had to settle for 12th place (+1.05). A somewhat encouraging result for Pinturault, however, in the hard this winter. On the other hand, the overall French balance sheet is necessarily complicated , with the abandonment of Noël in the first round and that of Paco Rassat, the only other Tricolore qualified, in second.