Cyprien Sarrazin untouchable, Alexis Pinturault injured: the French camp experienced an emotional roller coaster on Friday in the super-G in Wengen, Switzerland, between a first victory in ten years in the discipline and the worrying fall of its greatest champion in the last decade. “This victory is for Alexis, for his family”, reacted Sarrazin after having won his second success of the winter and the third of his career in the World Cup, just two weeks after winning the Italian downhill in Bormio .
Season over for Alexis Pinturault
Alexis Pinturault, injured in his left knee in a fall during the super-G in Wengen (Switzerland) on Friday, is forced to end his season, indicated the French Ski Federation (FFS). “He suffers from a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) in his left knee,” said the FFS. “His season is over.”
The revenge of Cyprien Sarrazin
Second Thursday of the first descent contested on the same Lauberhorn track, behind world No. 1 Marco Odermatt, the 29-year-old Frenchman took his revenge on the Swiss genius by the same margin, 58/100th. “The beauty is tomorrow,” joked the Gapençais, on the day of the second descent run on Saturday on the full 4.5 km course, the longest on the world circuit, with the fatigue of the two previous races weighing on the organisms.
Starting with bib 3, Sarrazin completed a breathtakingly daring round to the point of brushing against the nets, knocking out the race before his rivals set off. “Ohlala the Frenchman… My God, what have you done Cyprien?”, exclaimed the commentator from Wengen, temporarily abandoning the Swiss-German, to the cheers of the crowd. Like Thursday, the Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde, world No. 2 for the last two seasons and imperial last year in Wengen, completes the podium at 1 second, still tired from a virus.
A confirmed place among the speed favorites
By climbing four places to third in the provisional super-G rankings, after becoming the world No. 2 in downhill on Thursday, Sarrazin confirms his place among the speed favorites, alongside Odermatt and Kilde, who comes from the giant and is only competing in his second season as a downhiller. “It’s cool to be part of this trio, I accept. I have to learn this new status, but it’s really good,” he rejoiced.
In the general classification, the Frenchman climbs to fourth place, while Marco Odermatt is still in the lead ahead of the Austrian Marco Schwarz – who had to end his season at the end of December after a serious knee injury – and Aleksander Aamodt Kilde. The Blues’ celebration was nevertheless spoiled by the impressive fall of Alexis Pinturault. Bib No. 7 and author of a good round so far, the holder of the big 2021 globe fell after a jump and was evacuated by helicopter, after a long interruption in the event.
Alexis Pinturault’s bet
At 32, the man who before Sarrazin was the last French winner in super-G – in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, in March 2014 – “suffers from a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) of the left knee”, specified the FFS . “His season is over.”
Pinturault, the best active track record on the men’s circuit with 34 World Cup successes, had started this season a shift towards speed for the end of his career, giving up slalom to discover downhill. Father since Saturday of a little Olympus, he had achieved his first Top 10 in downhill on Thursday, taking a nice 9th place upon his discovery of the Lauberhorn, and was eagerly awaiting the following races on this legendary track by analyzing the “little things” to improve.
“It’s never easy to see a friend have an accident,” said Odermatt, who started three bibs after Pinturault. “Before setting off, I said to myself: ‘Ski well, but don’t risk everything’. The days in Wengen are long, it’s hard. I hope to be ready for Saturday.”