Pinturault gets 1st Cup GS win, Hirscher 2nd, Ligety 3rd
Shred messed up. He still made the podium.
After overnight snow covered the ice of lower section of the Garmisch downhill where Sunday’s (Feb 24) GS was held, the day belonged to young (21) Frenchman Alexis Pinturault, winning for the third time this season in his third discipline.
“When we arrived, we didn’t think it was possible and then they make a big race,” he said, still in the finish. “My first win in GS. It is just perfect.”
Putting on his businessman hat, Ligety said. “It’s cool to see Alexis get his first win in GS. Either way it’s a win for the Shred team today.”
Pinturault’s skiing was at least closer to perfect than anyone else. Felix Neureuther, racing in his hometown, was a popular first run leader, but the bid for his first career GS win vanished when he slipped to his side entering the mid-course flats. He was lucky to survive enough to claim 12th.
The other German in contention, Fritz Dopfer crashed out after hooking a gate and enduring a head over tea kettle crash. He appeared to survive unscathed.
Getting second, with an stunning effort considering he had been plagued with a case of the trots, was Marcel Hirscher. He started his second run .75 out and closed to .09 at the end with a solid but less than spectacular run.
“The batteries are very empty,” said Hirscher. “It is sensational
that I’m even on the podium. These are important points for me. In the
World Cup it looks good. It will be exciting.”
Ted “Shred” Ligety, fifth after the first run, had built a lead just shy of a half second when he leaned it over, used his left hand as an outrigger to stay up right and finished third, two tenths off of Pinturault’s time.
With two GS races remaining, Ligety holds the GS standings lead by 105 points and seems destine to claim his fourth World Cup title in the discipline.
“Third place is not what you want to be getting at this stage, but I’ll take it,” said Ligety, “In the first run I made a ton of little mistakes and in the second I was lucky not to get into too much soft snow. … The soft snow made it pretty tough to push the line anywhere,”
Hirscher gained 40 points on sixth place finisher Aksel Lund Svindal to pad his lead in the overall standings to 209pts.
There were some outstanding performances from lightly regarded skiers in the race. With the World Championships having sapped many contenders and with the World Junior Championships depleting part of the field skiers like Benedikt Staubitzer of Germany, Manuel Pleisch of Switzerland and Elia Zurbriggen, the son of Swiss champion Pirmin, gained their first World Cup points
American Tim Jitloff tallied hus best finish of the season, tied with Neureuther in 12th. Robby Kelley finished 41st in the first run and did not earn a second. No Canadians were entered.
Gepa photo
The SCOOP
by Hank McKee
Men’s World Cup Giant Slalom, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Feb. 24, 2013
Equipment
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Pinturault, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
2 Hirscher, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Ligety, Head/Head/Head
4 Sandell, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
5 Moelgg, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
6 Svindal, Head/Head/Head
7 Missillier, Dynastar/Lange/Look
8 Schoerghofer, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
9 Mathis, Head/Head/Head
10 Blardone, Dynastar/Lange/Dynastar
Men’s World Cup Giant Slalom, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Feb. 24, 2013. … It is the 55th race of the 2013 World Cup schedule. … 27th for men and the sixth of eight scheduled giant slaloms. … It is the 95th Cup race hosted by Garmisch-Partenkirchen. … just the fourth GS, third for men.
It is the fourth career World Cup win for Alexis Pinturault, all coming in different disciplines and three of them coming this season. … He had placed second in World Cup GS’s three time previously, at Kranjska Gora March 5, 2011, at Soelden Oct. 23, 2011 and at Kransjka Gora March 10, 2012. … Kranjska Gora is is yet to be contested this season.
It is the 41st career World Cup podium for Marcel Hirscher. … his 16th in GS. … It is his 16th podium of the season in 17 completed races, including two World Championship medals.
It is the 35th career World cup podium for Ted Ligety. … his 28th in GS. … It is his ninth podium of the season including three gold medals at World Championships. … It is his sixth podium of the season in GS.
It is the fourth best career Cup result for Tim Jitloff. … third best in GS. … It is his best result of the season.
Marcel Hirscher leads the World Cup overall standings 1215-1006 over Aksel Lund Svindal (sixth in race). … Felix Neureuther (12th in race) is third with 798pts. … Ted Ligety is fourth with 796pts. … Erik Guay (did not race) leads Canada in 15th with 373pts. … Ligety leads the GS standings (with two races remaining) 520-415 over Hirscher. … Manfred Moelgg (fifth in race) is third with 257pts and cannot win the title. … Jean-Philippe Roy is top Canadian in the GS rankings in 40th with 14pts. … Austria leads the men’s Nations Cup 4765-3241 over Italy with France third at 2632. … The US men are sixth with 1386 and Canada is eighth with 768pts
Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER)
FIS World Cup
Men’s Giant Slalom
Feb 24, 2013
Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total Time | FIS Points |
1 | 2 | 194364 | PINTURAULT Alexis | 1991 | FRA | 1:14.23 | 1:18.19 | 2:32.42 | 0.00 |
2 | 5 | 53831 | HIRSCHER Marcel | 1989 | AUT | 1:14.74 | 1:18.28 | 2:33.02 | 3.50 |
3 | 4 | 534562 | LIGETY Ted | 1984 | USA | 1:14.65 | 1:18.40 | 2:33.05 | 3.68 |
4 | 12 | 180534 | SANDELL Marcus | 1987 | FIN | 1:14.78 | 1:18.37 | 2:33.15 | 4.26 |
5 | 3 | 292491 | MOELGG Manfred | 1982 | ITA | 1:14.38 | 1:18.88 | 2:33.26 | 4.90 |
6 | 7 | 421328 | SVINDAL Aksel Lund | 1982 | NOR | 1:14.77 | 1:18.62 | 2:33.39 | 5.66 |
7 | 19 | 192506 | MISSILLIER Steve | 1984 | FRA | 1:15.48 | 1:18.28 | 2:33.76 | 7.82 |
8 | 10 | 51007 | SCHOERGHOFER Philipp | 1983 | AUT | 1:15.12 | 1:19.08 | 2:34.20 | 10.39 |
9 | 8 | 53985 | MATHIS Marcel | 1991 | AUT | 1:15.49 | 1:18.98 | 2:34.47 | 11.97 |
10 | 11 | 292000 | BLARDONE Massimiliano | 1979 | ITA | 1:15.76 | 1:19.04 | 2:34.80 | 13.90 |
11 | 17 | 501017 | MYHRER Andre | 1983 | SWE | 1:16.05 | 1:18.82 | 2:34.87 | 14.31 |
12 | 28 | 534959 | JITLOFF Tim | 1985 | USA | 1:16.06 | 1:18.83 | 2:34.89 | 14.42 |
12 | 14 | 201702 | NEUREUTHER Felix | 1984 | GER | 1:13.99 | 1:20.90 | 2:34.89 | 14.42 |
14 | 18 | 191423 | RICHARD Cyprien | 1979 | FRA | 1:15.64 | 1:19.31 | 2:34.95 | 14.77 |
15 | 42 | 202265 | STAUBITZER Benedikt | 1990 | GER | 1:16.38 | 1:18.66 | 2:35.04 | 15.30 |
16 | 33 | 193967 | MUFFAT JEANDET Victor | 1989 | FRA | 1:16.24 | 1:18.82 | 2:35.06 | 15.42 |
17 | 24 | 292967 | EISATH Florian | 1984 | ITA | 1:16.36 | 1:18.74 | 2:35.10 | 15.65 |
18 | 16 | 380260 | KOSTELIC Ivica | 1979 | CRO | 1:16.63 | 1:18.66 | 2:35.29 | 16.76 |
19 | 20 | 510727 | DEFAGO Didier | 1977 | SUI | 1:16.35 | 1:18.96 | 2:35.31 | 16.88 |
20 | 22 | 51159 | NOESIG Christoph | 1985 | AUT | 1:16.01 | 1:19.68 | 2:35.69 | 19.09 |
21 | 23 | 421669 | HAUGEN Leif Kristian | 1987 | NOR | 1:16.36 | 1:19.48 | 2:35.84 | 19.97 |
22 | 29 | 294890 | NANI Roberto | 1988 | ITA | 1:16.78 | 1:19.42 | 2:36.20 | 22.07 |
23 | 40 | 511718 | PLEISCH Manuel | 1990 | SUI | 1:16.59 | 1:19.63 | 2:36.22 | 22.19 |
24 | 41 | 192504 | MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas | 1984 | FRA | 1:16.55 | 1:19.86 | 2:36.41 | 23.30 |
25 | 21 | 501324 | OLSSON Matts | 1988 | SWE | 1:16.78 | 1:19.74 | 2:36.52 | 23.94 |
26 | 44 | 511741 | ZURBRIGGEN Elia | 1990 | SUI | 1:16.88 | 1:19.73 | 2:36.61 | 24.47 |
Did not start 1st run | |||||||||
31 | 293006 | INNERHOFER Christof | 1984 | ITA | |||||
Did not qualify for 2nd run | |||||||||
54 | 291145 | DEVILLE Cristian | 1981 | ITA | |||||
53 | 561161 | JAZBEC Patrick | 1989 | SLO | |||||
52 | 410266 | GRIFFIN Benjamin | 1986 | NZL | |||||
51 | 30149 | SIMARI BIRKNER Cristian Javier | 1980 | ARG | |||||
47 | 293550 | MARSAGLIA Matteo | 1985 | ITA | |||||
45 | 290095 | BALLERIN Andrea | 1989 | ITA | |||||
39 | 930160 | KELLEY Robby | 1990 | USA | |||||
38 | 481006 | ZUEV Stepan | 1988 | RUS | |||||
36 | 192653 | FREY Thomas | 1984 | FRA | |||||
34 | 561032 | JAZBEC Janez | 1984 | SLO | |||||
27 | 511313 | JANKA Carlo | 1986 | SUI | |||||
26 | 191746 | DE TESSIERES Gauthier | 1981 | FRA | |||||
25 | 194495 | FAIVRE Mathieu | 1992 | FRA | |||||
Did not finish 2nd run | |||||||||
15 | 50625 | RAICH Benjamin | 1978 | AUT | |||||
13 | 191750 | FANARA Thomas | 1981 | FRA | |||||
9 | 50742 | REICHELT Hannes | 1980 | AUT | |||||
1 | 202462 | DOPFER Fritz | 1987 | GER | |||||
Did not finish 1st run | |||||||||
50 | 511776 | GASPOZ Vincent | 1991 | SUI | |||||
49 | 910004 | DEFLORIAN Mirko | 1980 | MDA | |||||
48 | 202345 | SCHWAIGER Dominik | 1991 | GER | |||||
46 | 53902 | MAYER Matthias | 1990 | AUT | |||||
43 | 510997 | BERTHOD Marc | 1983 | SUI | |||||
37 | 511638 | TUMLER Thomas | 1989 | SUI | |||||
35 | 990116 | DE ALIPRANDINI Luca | 1990 | ITA | |||||
32 | 180627 | MALMSTROM Victor | 1991 | FIN | |||||
30 | 700830 | ZAMPA Adam | 1990 | SVK | |||||
6 | 292120 | SIMONCELLI Davide | 1979 | ITA |