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Alexis Pinturault fastest in Alpine Combined
Austria -At 16.45 CET under the floodlights of the slope next to the Streif, 27 skiers from the morning’s super-G entered a one run slalom to chase the title of 2015 Hahnenkamm Alpine Combined winner.
After a strong super-G run where he finished only 1.47 seconds behind winner Paris, Alexis Pinturault was the favorite for the win and he didn’t disappoint. The Frenchman crossed the finish line 0.69 seconds faster than Hirscher and 0.94 seconds ahead of surprise third place winner Czech Ondrej Bank.
“In Combined, my best discipline is the slalom, not the downhill or the super G, so I have to be fast and not make any mistakes so I just tried today to attack the super G. In the slalom, I just tried to do my best and even though you never know what will be enough for a victory, when I crossed the finish line and saw the green light I knew that could be it and it’s a wonderful feeling. It’s really special to win here, especially for a second time,” Pinturault said after the slalom run.
Hirscher picks and choses the speed races he enters through the season based on whether he thinks he has a chance to collect some significant points and even though this morning’s SG was not a simple task for a tech racer, the 80 points he added to his name after the Alpine Combined made the gamble worth it.
“I don’t have so much experience on the long skis and today the super-G was more like a downhill so for a slalom guy to ski there 130 km/h it’s on the edge. In the end, if I finish into the net, everyone would say, ‘He’s a total crazy, stupid idiot,’ but today maybe I’m a small hero,” Hirscher said.
In 2007, Bank earned a third place in the Beaver Creek Combined race but has since struggled to get back on the podium as his career has been marked by numerous injuries over the past few years.
“I struggled with many injuries between my first podium and this one, it was not a nice time. But I seem to be enjoying skiing more and more these days so sharing this podium with Alexis and Marcel is a big pleasure. These guys are some of the best skiers in the history of our sport and I am thrilled to be on the podium with them,” Bank said with a big smile.
After a strong super-G run where he finished only 1.47 seconds behind winner Paris, Alexis Pinturault was the favorite for the win and he didn’t disappoint. The Frenchman crossed the finish line 0.69 seconds faster than Hirscher and 0.94 seconds ahead of surprise third place winner Czech Ondrej Bank.
“In Combined, my best discipline is the slalom, not the downhill or the super G, so I have to be fast and not make any mistakes so I just tried today to attack the super G. In the slalom, I just tried to do my best and even though you never know what will be enough for a victory, when I crossed the finish line and saw the green light I knew that could be it and it’s a wonderful feeling. It’s really special to win here, especially for a second time,” Pinturault said after the slalom run.
Hirscher picks and choses the speed races he enters through the season based on whether he thinks he has a chance to collect some significant points and even though this morning’s SG was not a simple task for a tech racer, the 80 points he added to his name after the Alpine Combined made the gamble worth it.
“I don’t have so much experience on the long skis and today the super-G was more like a downhill so for a slalom guy to ski there 130 km/h it’s on the edge. In the end, if I finish into the net, everyone would say, ‘He’s a total crazy, stupid idiot,’ but today maybe I’m a small hero,” Hirscher said.
In 2007, Bank earned a third place in the Beaver Creek Combined race but has since struggled to get back on the podium as his career has been marked by numerous injuries over the past few years.
“I struggled with many injuries between my first podium and this one, it was not a nice time. But I seem to be enjoying skiing more and more these days so sharing this podium with Alexis and Marcel is a big pleasure. These guys are some of the best skiers in the history of our sport and I am thrilled to be on the podium with them,” Bank said with a big smile.
Source: fis-ski.com
