Mathieu Faivre laid the marker down for the rest of the field in the first run in Alta Badia with bib number 2. The current leading Giant Slalom skier, Marco Odermatt was able to stay with the Frenchman and he was just 0.02 behind with Manuel Feller, on the podium in Val d'Isere last time out, is third just under two tenths back. The top five are rounded out by River Radamus from the USA and Luca di Aliprandini (Italy).
Faivre and Odermatt both had great runs as they attacked the steep and dark turns down the Gran Risa in Alta Badia. Using the good clean conditions to his advantage, Faivre was able to attack each turn without drifting in to turns. He was able to get purchase on the outside ski and carry and increase the speed.
Odermatt is very light on his edges and this played into his hand as he was able to carry the speed through the steep turns set by the Slovenian coach of Zan Kranjec. Odermatt was faster than Faivre in the second split but slower when he crossed the finish line.
If going early was an advantage then Alexis Pinturault will be rueing his missed opportunity. Pinturault went number 1 and while he looked smooth and clean, he is 0.67 back off the lead of his teammate in ninth place. It will be interesting to see how he reacts on the second run. Another disappointing result will put more pressure on him in defending his Giant Slalom Globe and Overall.
With five racers from outside the top 30 starters making the second run, the highest start number being Mattias Roenngren from bib 53 of the 56 starters, this was. course that held up and gave those that got the line and tactics right for when they came down.
No Charlie Raposo in Alta Badia this year as he has headed to Glungezer in Austria to take part in two Europa Cup Giant Slalom races in n effort to lower his FIS points and thus get a better start number for future World Cup Giant Slalom races.
First run times