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Fourth victory for Michael von
Grünigen
Switzerland’s
veteran Michael von Grünigen
is achieving a very successful “goodbye
tour” – after finishing
3rd in Soelden and winning again in
Park City, the 2001 World Champion
celebrated his fourth triumph in the
“classical” Val d’Isère
giant slalom race also marked by the
bad accident of Austria’s new
ski hero, Stephan Eberharter.
The 34-year-old Michael beat by 11/100
of a second America’s Bode Miller,
the 2001 winner, while Austria’s
Christoph Gruber was 3rd after an
impressive comeback in the second
run. He was only 29th in the first
leg.
Joel Chenal was the best French in
4th place, only 2/100 behind him while
his teammate Frédéric
Covili on came in 7th.
A tough moment for Stephan
Despite
his little GS training since Soelden,
Stephan tried hard to challenge the
specialists on Sunday in the giant
slalom held by difficult weather and
course conditions. The first skiers
were battling a slippery course and
snow showers made it even more difficult.
Eberharter, 3rd in that race last
year, bravely attacked the course
and he was faster than his team-mate
Benjamin Raich when he skied out of
the course in the lower part of the
run.
His fall seemed quite smooth but when
he didn’t get up, it was clear
that Eberharter was injured. At first
sight, the team doctor was afraid
he could have torn the cruciate ligament
at his right knee. A catastrophe for
the Austrian and his team. But further
examinations in the hospital in Innsbruck
didn’t confirm this. Stephan
did hurt himself at his knee but no
ligament was damaged and he should
be able to ski again in a few weeks!
Good news for the World Cup and the
sport!
Eberharter’s accident put a black
shadow over the competition –
which was too bad because it was quite
an exciting race at the end. The battle
between two winners from past years,
Bode Miller and Michael von Grünigen
was superb.
An aggressive second run for Mr. Giant
slalom
Thanks a more aggressive second run
the Swiss veteran prevailed. The 1997
and 2001 World Champion, who will
turn 34 next April, celebrated another
impressive victory on the technically
demanding “Oreiller-Killy”
course - his fourth at Val d’Isère
– also a new record! It’s
his twenty second in total since 1993
– only Sweden’s Superstar
Ingemar Stenmark did better (45!)
Bode, who clocked the fastest time
in the first run seemed on his way
to finally clinch his first race of
the season. But poor visibility in
the afternoon prevented him to attack
the course as much as he wanted.
In the same time, Von Grünigen,
showed his class, mastering with style
and steely nerves the demanding run
of this third giant slalom of the
winter.
“I guess that my experience of
this course, which I have known for
more than ten years, helped me a lot
again today” the Swiss said.
“ You needed to ski with much
feeling and much precision because
of the poor visibility” he added.
“The start to my season has been
quite fantastic with two wins and
a third place in October in Soelden”.
“This is a great way for me to
prepare for the upcoming World Championships
in Switzerland, which will be the
last major event of my career. I have
been competing for 15 years now and
it’s time to turn the page. In
a way I’m doing my good-bye tour
now and I try to leave good memories
to the people who watch me racing
a last time”.
“ I also hope that Eberharter
will recover in time to join us soon
on the tour”.
An important podium for Bode
For
Miller, reaching the podium for the
first time this season was important
after two disappointing results in
Utah three weeks ago, when he skied
out twice.
“I guess I should be satisfied
with this result since I haven’t
reached
the podium so far this season. But
I was expecting more today, especially
from my skiing after the first run
where I almost slipped out of the
course”.
”I couldn’t attack too much
in the second run because of the bad
visibility
which made me feel quite unsure. I
know that I can win races any time
but to do so I have to ski better
than today."
Miller, who is one of the favorites
for the Overall World Cup title in
the absence of Eberharter - who may
miss the next two or three weeks of
racing whole season - was disappointed
by the injury to his Austrian rival.
“It’s just too bad to lose
such a great champion who is such
an example for us and I wish him the
best recovery and to return as soon
as possible to the course” Miller
added.
In the nest two technical events,
Bode will try to make up some terrain
on Eberharter in the Overall Standings.
He also plans to compete in the Super-G
in Val Gardena and eventually also
in the downhill.
The Italian also achieved a remarkable
Team performance with four “Azzurri”
among the best 15. The best was not
as expected Massimiliano Blardone,
4th here last year, but the young
Peter Fill, 6th despite his bib number
57. It’s is best result on the
World Cup Tour. A promising talent
who already won gold at the Junior
Worlds last year, Fill has the talent
to become soon a strong allrounder.
He became the “winStar of the
Race” in that event.
This will attract a huge crowd next
week at Alta Badia!
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