In Bormio in Downhill is double-Swiss. Casse, what a pity!
On the Stelvio Alexis Monney surprised and scored his first World Cup victory ahead of compatriot von Allmen. On the podium also Alexander, fourth the Piedmontese penalized by a big mistake on the Carcentina. Fifth place for Odermatt, back Paris
In the history of Bormio and Valtellina, an important page has been written by Switzerland: the cultural and architectural traces of the three centuries of Graubünden domination are still clearly evident in the streets of a town dense with stories and secrets to tell. A few hundred meters further on, in the parterre of the legendary Stelvio slope, the Swiss-Swiss flag shone again in Bormio at the end of the Downhill on Saturday, December 28.
To rejoice was not one, but two youngsters of the nouvelle vague of Swiss speed: Alexis Monney, class 2000, won, at his first joy in the World Cup, ahead of Franjo von Allmen, 2001, who had already given signs, and quite a few, in recent weeks. It was they who better than the others tamed a splendid Stelvio slope under the Bormio sun, for a show that held the many fans and enthusiasts who arrived at the ski stadium that in 13 months will crown the Olympic champions of Milan-Cortina.
On the third step of the podium is the Canadian Cameron Alexander, who had been the fastest in the last time trial, and who keeps down from the podium an excellent Mattia Casse, who until the arrival of Monney had dreamed of an absolutely surprising third step after the serious line error committed on the Carcentina, the only stain of a capital trial.
Fifth place by phenom Marco Odermatt and sixth place by Justin Murisier, still Switzerland, complete the sense of a race, as always, of the highest level, on a track that gives nothing away but knows how to indulge those with class, speed and courage.
THE RACE REPORT
Franjo von Allmen had it, taking full advantage of number 3 by skiing to perfection in the section from Fontana Lunga to the mouth of the Carcentina, from which he brought out the speed needed to mark the provisional best time even in the final part of the Konta.
Alexander and Murisier, with bibs 6 and 7, managed to do better than von Allmen in the upper part, up to the Sertorelli Canalino, but were unable to replicate the Swiss’s very high line on the Carcentina. Same for the U.S. Cochran-Siegle, protagonist of a fall without consequences before the San Pietro jump while he had the first time mark, and for Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr, very fast up to Pian dell’Orso, less so in the middle and final part.
The home crowd began to vibrate thanks to a great test signed by Mattia Casse. The Piedmontese rider painted trajectories on the Stelvio until the fateful smear on the Carcentina, without which the podium would have been within reach, and perhaps even something more. “After the mistake I thought I would finish with more than two seconds,” Casse explained, “When I looked at the time I was amazed. On this track in the last three years I have always been growing: tomorrow is the Super-G, I will try again .”
Nothing to do instead for Dominik Paris, who on the Stelvio that has seen him dominate so many times was not able to give himself another cover memory today. Better than him were Christof Innerhofer, 18th, and young Giovanni Franzoni, 19th.
Perfect, for once, was not Marco Odermatt either, who was also penalized by his airbag deploying on a jolt, but the fifth place finish counts and ranks for the World Cup. And in the meantime he applauds his teammates: “Our young people are really going strong, we are a great group.”
When von Allmen was beginning to smell a feat, teammate Monney, who had already shined in the first time trial, was able to replicate his compatriot’s trajectories on the Carcentine and interpret the final section of the Konta better than anyone else, giving himself a first dream World Cup victory, he who in 2020 had been crowned Junior World Champion in Narvik, Norway.
“I don’t know what to say, it’s crazy,” commented the new king of Bormio. “I didn’t get any indication from the finish, we knew we had a plan after practice, and I got to the start focused. It is a great day for our team, I am happy. “
Switzerland had not won in the Downhill in Bormio for a full 13 years: the last one on the top step of the podium had been Didier Defago in 2011, moreover on the day of another one-two with Patrick Küng. Before then, the only Swiss to dominate the Stelvio had been Pirmin Zurbriggen in the historic 1985 World Cup.
TOMORROW THE SUPER-G
In less than 24 hours, the Stelvio will light up again for the Super-G that will close the weekend’s program, with Marco Odermatt committed to defending the title he won last year. The first start is scheduled for 11:30 a.m., live TV on Rai2 and Eurosport.
