I was planning on writing a men’s preview for the slalom in Zagreb, Croatia as well as a review of the women’s race there sometime in the last 3 days. But I was busy with the Mission Ridge Ski Team racing some FIS races at Schweitzer Mountain Resort in Sandpoint, Idaho. It was a very good event there and we got off a GS and 2 Super G races despite about 10 inches of snow while we were there.
So, as I sit here writing this I am tuned in to Universal Sports on my flat screen and getting ready to watch run 2 of the men’s slalom live. It looks as though the boys had a tough time with the conditions there. Injected snow with new snow over the top can be very difficult. So the draw is extremely important. Herbst took advantage of number 1 and won the first run. Not surprising in that kind of conditions. Other than the draw, it takes some mental toughness and an adjusted plan for the conditions to ski cleanly and get a second run and then hopefully starting early enough in run 2 to make a big charge up the list. World Cup skiing is about World Cup points and can turn into a qualifying game when the conditions are marginal. The other thing that can be tough about these day/night type races is that they are scheduled in mid afternoon for Run 1 and then well into the dark for Run 2. Slalom under the lights is great stuff with a lot of excitement and normally very fair light. Everyone gets the same, artificial light. In the late afternoon the light is flat, the artificial light is not doing its job yet. It can make it tough to see the track. Especially when you have the kind of tough conditions they have tonight in Zagreb.
Zagreb is a pretty amazing race. They get big crowds and pay a lot of money. They also put the guys up in the middle of the city in a great hotel and make a huge effort to take care of the athletes and coaches. They bring the whole field up to the hill in a motorcade with a police escort. It is a great experience for all of the guys.
So, writing this as I watch the second run, the set is very difficult. Christian Hoeflehner(AUT) has created a course with very large exits from the combinations. Big swing on the course from the top and then tough turning exits of hairpins along with some cross-hill pins set against the grain of the exit. He also set a large right to left cross-hill delay toward the end of the hill with a relentless section of rhythm afterwards leading to a hairpin with a tough exit just before the finish. There were a number of athletes who just did not adjust to some of these tactical challenges so far in Run 2. The hill is also relatively flat and gives the athlete the mentality that it requires a full-charge attitude but Hoefi has set a course that requires some tactical preparation as well. The very best guys should shine in that type of environment if the conditions hold up.
I just watched Mike Janyk(CAN) take his second run and ski a very smart run. He went after the easier sections and set himself up well for the tough pin in the middle and for the aforementioned delay section at the bottom. Very smart stuff, very disciplined. Jimmy about to start, let’s see if he can get it done. .. and simply leaned in with over a half-second lead. Bummer. When you watch Felix Neureuther go after Cochran, watch the lead he had and then how round he is in the flat, middle section compared to Mike Janyk. And then the superior adjustment Mike made to the delay near the bottom. It’s a great contrast to look at. Hargin(SWE) had the lead going into the bottom section and did not adjust as well as Janyk, but adjusted better than he often does to keep it close. I thought that was a higher level of tactical adjustment for Matias than I have seen over the past few seasons. I am actually very surprised at Benni Raich. I expect him to be more tactical than Mike Janyk but Mike did a much better job adjusting to the bottom section. I just watched a nice run from Mitja Valencic(SLO). He adjusted well after charging the top. The Croatian crowd is likely going to be behind the Slovenians with no one of their own to really root for. And with Lizeroux, just fighting to stay in at the end did it for him. He made the necessary tactical moves but truly had to dig deep to stay in at the end…great job! Mario Matt cost himself with the mistakes at the top but it also affected his speed-carry across the middle flat. The same thing happened to Moelgg but he got himself moving just enough to go into the lead with an excellent adjustment at the bottom. Watching Razzoli flail down the bottom of the run, I thought he had made a mistake in the middle that slowed him down just enough to be able to deal with the tough lower section. In a way, his poor exit from the hairpin in just above the bottom pitch allowed him to slow down enough to deal with the delay. It would have been interesting to see if he could have stayed in the course on the bottom had he carried more speed into it. Herbst blows it, Razzoli WINS! WOW…. That was a fun race. It’s a great podium. Razzoli, Moelgg and Lizeroux. Three great guys who work very hard at their craft. All three are professional ski racers. Razzoli has methodically worked his way up through the rankings over the last 3 years on the World Cup to the top 15, and now he has his first win. Congratulations boys, and to Mike Janyk as well! Nice job.
That was pretty cool. I liked typing in comments as the race was happening. Hopefully I can do the same for Schladming and for the Olympics since they are in my own time zone. Maybe I can do a live chat or something during some of the Olympic races. I might try that.
Coming up, the tech boys head to Adelboden which is one of my favorites. And the USA speed boys should be headed back to Europe to train a couple of days in Veyssonaz before heading up to Wengen. The speed girls are in Haus, Austria, which has to be one of the most challenging women’s downhills in the world. It has a lot of terrain with some big air. As well as some jumps that are mid turn which always makes for some excitement when a girl goes off with a loaded ski. And then the tech girls head to Flachau which should be a fantastic venue for them. We have raced there a number of times over the years. In fact, my first ever World Cup course set was there. I have a lot of fond memories of Flachau. I will try to preview and review all of these races coming up. The best month of the year on the World Cup is just getting cranked up!
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