Kranjska Gora: Lizeroux wins and standings tighten

Julien Lizeroux makes things interesting.

Fourth after the first run of the Kranjska Gora, Slovenia World Cup slalom Sunday, Lizeroux blistered the second chance down the tricky Podkoren 3 hill and set the challenge for the three leaders, Benjamin Raich, Reinfried Herbst and Giuliano Razzoli.

And here’s where it got interesting. Raich, knowing he could likely regain the lead in the overall standings just by finishing didn’t come within a half second of matching the Frenchman’s time, and couldn’t better third place finisher Felix Neureuther either dropping into a virtual tie for the overall lead with Ivica Kostelic. The difference is two points and Kostelic leads.

Herbst, the hottest slalom skier of January and in position to make a run at that crown, cut one too many corners and went out of the course early.Julien Lizeroux  makes things interesting.

Fourth after the first run of the Kranjska Gora, Slovenia World Cup slalom Sunday, Lizeroux blistered the second chance down the tricky Podkoren 3 hill and set the challenge for the three leaders, Benjamin Raich, Reinfried Herbst and Giuliano Razzoli.

And here’s where it got interesting. Raich, knowing he could likely regain the lead in the overall standings just by finishing didn’t come within a half second of matching the Frenchman’s time, and couldn’t better third place finisher Felix Neureuther either dropping into a virtual tie for the overall lead with Ivica Kostelic. The difference is two points and Kostelic leads.

Kostelic had a disasterous first run only making the qualification cut by a couple of tenths. Angry after a sibling scolding and with adrenalin overtaking a rough morning, he tallied the fastest second run to move up dramatically, finishing 11th and preserving the slender piece of the overall lead and a chance at the slalom crown.

Slalom leader Jean-Baptiste Grange can commiserate with any of those who wanted to. He finished in the 29th place after hiking in the second run and watched his lead continue to shrink. After starting the season with a first-second and first in the first three slaloms he has added only one podium, at Kitzbuehel, where his teammate Lizeroux beat him. His lead is now 49 points with one race remaining at Finals.

Herbst, the hottest slalom skier of January and in position to make a run at that crown, cut one too many corners and went out of the course early.

Razzoli didn’t get his first points of the season until January and with nothing to lose gave Lizeroux a fight, but still gave up a half second in the run and came up three plus tenths short for second place.

That left Lizeroux with his second career World Cup win. He was stereotypically French in his take on the result:

“All the work that I have put in is beginning to pay off, the way I am feeling, and my passion for the sport because skiing is above all about passion,” he told the AFP.

Counting the World Championships and combined the race marked the fourth time in five races Lizeroux has roared from back in the finish order for a podium finish, this time notching the second World Cup win of his career. Only this time, he did it with the seventh fastest second run time.

While Raich told Austrian reporters the day had been “a beautiful success,” with a goal oriented second run, Kostelic said his rehab from back pain that forced him to abandon the World Championships last month left him

feeling a bit of withdrawal. In the second run he said a scolding from his multi-champion sister Janica and a bit of naturally produced adrenalin allowed him a more “workmanlike” attack.

Jimmy Cochran was the only American to make the cut, finishing in 19th place. Two Canadians made the grade with Michael Janyk bringing in 12th place and Brad Spence gaining the first World Cup points of his career in 13th.

The win was particularly significant for Spence as it was just his second Cup start since sustaining a severe leg injury early in the 2006 season. He was first out of the gate in the second run and made good use of the perfect course surface.

“I was just so happy,” said Spence about finishing the second run. “When I came down and the people at FIS were telling me to get in the leader’s hut, I was almost confused. I had never done it before and didn’t know what I was doing,” he laughed.

All Cochran’s race was missing, according to the coach, was a little confidence.








“Jimmy skied a solid first run and was quite good on the bottom section. In the second he was solid and is definitely skiing better, but didn’t ski with the confidence to be aggressive in a few key sections. He’s got the ability, just not the confidence right now,” men’s head alpine coach Sasha Rearick said.

American Ted Ligety went out in the first run while nursing a fractional lead.

“It’s too bad I couldn’t make it to the finish. At least I know I am fast. I guess there is some confidence to be gained out of that,” he said. “It’s just somehting you can’t do anyhting about. I mean the course is in absolutely perfect condition, the snow is awesome, the course set’s sweet.”

The SCOOP

Equipment
















Men’s World Cup slalom, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, March 1, 2009.
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Lizeroux, Dynastar/Lange/Look
2 Razzoli, Nordica/Nordica/Marker
3 Neureuther, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
4 Raich, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
5 Matt, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
6 Hargin, Nordica/Nordica/
6 Pranger, Voelkl/Tecnica/Marker
8 Hirscher, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
9 Myhrer, Nordica/Nordica/
10 Vajdic, Elan/Lange/Elan

Men’s Slalom, Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, March 1, 2009. … It is the 30th race of the men’s 37 race 2009 World Cup schedule. … It is the ninth of ten scheduled slaloms. … It is the 67th Cup race held at Kranjska Gora which first hosted in 1968. … It is the 35th slalom and 30th men’s slalom at the site.

It is the second career World Cup win for Julien Lizeroux, both in slalom and both this season the previous coming at Kitzbuehel Jan. 25. … He also owns a second place finish in combined from Sestriere and gained silver medals at World Championships in both slalom and combined. … Since winning Kitzbuehel he has been on the podium in four of the five races he has completed. … His only previous result at Kranjska Gora was ninth in slalom last March 9.

It is the second career World Cup podium for Giuliano Razzoli, both in slalom and both this season the previous a third coming at Zagreb Jan. 6. … He was 21st in slalom at Kranjska Gora last March 9. … He is the only Italian with more than a single slalom podium this season.

It is the sixth career World Cup podium without a win for Felix Neureuther. … It is his second podium of the season having also placed third at Adelboden’s slalom Jan. 11. … He and Maria Riesch are the only Germans with Cup slalom podiums this season.

Michael Janyk matches his 16th best career World Cup finish. … It is his fifth best Cup finish of the season. … He was also the bronze medallist in slalom at the World Championships. … It is his third best result at Kranjska Gora. … It is the first career World Cup score for Brad Spence. … He is ranked first in both slalom and GS on the 2009 Nor-Am circuit. … It is the 13th best career World Cup result for Jimmy Cochran. … His best result (seventh GS Dec. 21, 2005) came at Kranjska Gora.

Ivica Kostelic (11th in race) maintains the lead of the World Cup overall standings 837-835 over Benjamin Raich (fourth in race). … Jean-Baptiste Grange (29th in race) is third at 777. … With seven races remaining there are still 46 men with a mathematical chance to win the title. … The top American is Bode Miller (did not race) in eighth with 517pts. … He did not attend the event. … Ted Ligety (1st run DNF) is ninth overall with 501pts. … Grange leads the slalom standings 481-432 over Kostelic with one race remaining. … Manfred Pranger (sixth in race) is third in the slalom standings with 389pts. … Only one of those three men can win the title. … The top American in Miller in 15th place with 167pts. … Austria leads the Nations Cup standings (both genders totaled) 8713-6630 over Switzerland. … Italy is third at 5019 and the U.S. fourth at 3768. … Canada is eighth with 1941.