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www.worldskinews.com/Alta
Badia (ITA) 19.12.2004
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Men
Giant Slalom - Race report
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Alta Badia, men's giant slalom
Thomas Grandi at the top
Alta Badia, Dec. 19th. The demanding and spectacular giant slalom organized on the treacherous and icy “Gran Risa” course in La Villa was again particularly dramatic this year. Canada's Thomas Grandi beat after two aggressive runs three of the established specialists of that discipline, Austria's Benjamin Raich and Hermann Maier, 3rd ex aequo with Didier Cuche from Switzerland, and celebrated his very first World Cup win. His teammate Jean-Philippe Roy, 5th despite a very high start-number (42) followed that group of experts while USA's Bode Miller skied out in the second run.
Miller who hit a stone in the first run, lost much time after that incident on the leader, Finland's Kalle Palander, one of the two winners here a year ago.
The skier from New Hampshire tried to come back in the afternoon, yet he didn't manage to end his second run. Palander had the same problem as he fought for his first season's win.
Norway's Lasse Kjus, the unexpected winner in Beaver Creek, lost his balance in the first run - so it's was Hermann Maier who collected the red leader's bib at the end of the race. Maier, who reached his third GS podium in three races, seems ready to win his first race of the season on home soil - in Flachau, where the fifth giant slalom of the season is taking place on Tuesday.
Grandi was patient
It's more than a dream which came through today for Thomas Grandi who became at 32 one of the oldest skiers to celebrate his first World Cup win. In fact it's quite an irony that the first Canadian to win a technical World Cup event achieved this performance in Alta Badia, on one of the toughest slopes of the World Cup tour. The huge crowd which attended that competition was happy with his success - after all, Grandi is one of their compatriots!
“My parents, both Italians, were skiing not far from here, in Corvara, in December 1972 when my mother felt that I was ready to be born, so they went to the hospital at Bolzano where I was born on the 27th of that month,” Thomas explained after the race. “I was 2 and a half when they moved to Canada. Somebody told them that Banff was a nice place to live so they went there. I learned to ski on Mt Norquay and they supported me a lot when I started to race. My sister Vanja was also racing for a long time.”
“I still have an Italian passport and I feel at home when I compete in Italy. In fact some cousins came here with a banner to encourage me. It was just great.”
“I had a good season-start so far, I felt confident before this race despite some poor Europa Cup races last week. I often skied well on that course in past years. I was 6th last season. This course requires much experience and determination. You have to be confident and very aggressive too.”
“Before the second run, I was joking with Kalle Palander who beat me last winter in slalom at Kitzbühel,” Grandi added. “I told him that it will be different this time. I attacked hard in the second run, I felt ready for my first win. I told myself it was part of my destiny to win my first race here!”
Thomas has been waiting a long time for this day. It was sometimes difficult for him because of various health problems and strong pains at his back. But he never gave-up his hopes to win once a World Cup race. “I strongly believe that I had the talent and the physical potential to be a winner - I was right,” he also said.
Benjamin Raich, 3rd in Friday's Super-G and Hermann Maier, 2nd in that same race, scored the most points during that weekend in the Dolomites - 140! They were both please with their performances.
“I was not confident enough in the first run to take more risks but I achieved a nice comeback in the second run,” said Raich who is having his best season start ever. “I never scored so many points at the beginning of the season, so I'm very confident.”
Maier in red
It's quite a sensational comeback that Maier is achieving in giant slalom this season. For the third consecutive time, the defending Overall World Cup champion reached the podium in that discipline. In Flachau, he will wear the red leader's bib at the start of his home-race and it's his firm intention to defend it with another strong performance.
“Last January, I started in 50th position in that race, and now I come back in Flachau with the leader's bib, this is quite amazing,” he admitted after the race. “I'm really happy with my results in this specialty. I was afraid in Soelden to be no longer able to fight for victory in giant slalom. Fortunately, I was wrong. I'm still not totally confident so I can't take all risks as in the past, but it can happen soon. For me, the winter begins on December 21st - the day of my race in Flachau!”
This weekend in the Dolomites was also important for Maier on a technical point of view. He seems to have mastered the problems with his equipment so he can finally totally focus on his racing. “It has been a difficult time, but I think to have found the right adjustments now,” he said. “Five top-3 finishes are fine, but it's about time to win a race. I'm not used to wait so long!”
On Tuesday and Wednesday, the men will compete in Flachau where a giant slalom and slalom are scheduled while the women, who couldn't compete in Val d'Isère because of bad weather and heavy snowfalls, will race a Super-G and a giant slalom in St Moritz, Switzerland.
Didier Cuche can do it!
A winner in Adelboden's legendary giant slalom a view years ago, Didier Cuche didn't reach a GS podium since finishing 2nd in St Moritz in February 2002 in the race won by Stephan Eberharter, the reigning Olympic Champion in that specialty.
“It was about time,” he said with a grin after the race. “I always enjoyed racing on that demanding hill on which you have to fight hard and take great risks. That's the way I like ski racing.”
As some of his colleagues, Cuche changed his boot provider last summer and uses now Atomic boots. “They are really efficient, I have been struggling for the past two years because of material problems but I'm quite happy now with my tuning.”
Bode Miller was not too upset by his failure to finish that race he won in recent years. “I felt fine at the start of the first run, but I had no chance to clock a fast time after skiing over that stone,” he explained. “I took great risks in the afternoon trying to make up some time, but I tried too hard and skied out.”
Yet the Overall World Cup leader remained at the finish line until the race to watch the first victory of Thomas Grandi. He took some time to answer a few questions before leaving the place and hide in his motor-home surrounded by many fans. In Flachau, he will try to finish both races which he didn't manage last winter. “I can imagine these races will be quite interesting, many spectators will be watching, it will be exciting,” he added.
Patrick Lang
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