The victory of Marco Odermatt in front of 13,000 adoring fans was a joy to behind. Not only was the skiing of the highest calibre but skiing without fans is not quite the same. Odermatt took the race win ahead of Manuel Feller with last year's double Chuenisbärgli winner, Alexis Pinturault in third. The top five were rounded out by Justin Murisier and Mathieu Faivre.
Adelboden is one, if not the, toughest Giant Slalom hill. It rolls, it twists and then just as the muscles are saying enough, racers have to negotiate a 60% slope into the finish. It is all about keeping just a little in reserve for the last half dozen gates into the finish but still going full gas down the rest of the course.
Odermatt was in a class of his own as he won the fourth of five Giant Slalom races this winter. Spurred on by the Swiss crowd, eager to win, Odermatt kept having to check himself he admitted after the race. Such is his incredible touch and feel for the snow, it is difficult seeing others come back to challenge him for the GS Globe this season or for the Olympic title.
Manuel Feller posted the fastest second run time, seven tenths almost ahead of Odermatt but still trailed the 24 year old Swiss racer by just under half a second.
While the first run saw big gaps between first and thirtieth, the excitement of the race on the second run saw Marco Schwarz and then Henrik Kristoffersen take the lead. Then it was Justin Murisier who took over the lead before Feller grabbed the lead.
When Pinturault came down from second after the first run, both Filip Zubcic and Mathieu Faivre had fallen out of contention. For Faivre, the fact he had slipped on his inside and managed to keep going, was testament to his attitude in not giving up. Faivre finished fifth eventually to score 45 World Cup points, had he given up, he would have taken zero!
Pinturault made a mistake on the steep into the finish and this cost him dear. He trailed in six hundredths behind Feller and the dream of a third win on the bounce in Adelboden was over.
Feller or Odermatt?
Odermatt will inspire so many young skiers to try and emulate his style with his light touch on the edges.
The 13,000 Swiss fans that were in the finish got what they wanted and craved. The ski racing world has a new star that is challenging the sport. Does anyone remember a racer called Marcel someone? I wonder what he is thinking about this 24 year old?
For Charlie Raposo, it was a really tough day. He admitted afterwards there were some good bits and some not so good bits. Analysis of the run to see where he can improve will be in-depth. On his instagram page, Raposo was honest and forthright about how his day went.
Raposo is certainly a fighter. Raposo explained to Racer Ready that it was "the most brutal World Cup race I have ever done," adding that he is "not executing at the moment. Jut gotta keep working and we will get there."
The buzz around the British team at the moment after the success of the Slalom Europa Cup team will mean that Raposo will want to add his name to the success story for January. He already had World Cup points but wants more!
Full results