Odermatt dominates giant slalom as champion Pinturault fades
Alta Badia (Italy) (AFP) – Switzerland's Marco Odermatt dominated Monday's World Cup giant slalom in Alta Badia to consolidate his lead in the overall standings as last season's crystal globe winner Alexis Pinturault dropped out of contention.
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The French skier trailed in 18th and conceded he was out of the running - even though this was only the 12th of 36 events - and would take a time out to try and rediscover his lost form.
Odermatt is shaping up to be the likely recipient of the 2021/22 season's big crystal globe after notching up his fourth win of the campaign.
He capitalised on his first run lead to finish 1.01seconds clear of Italian Luca De Aliprandini.
For the home hope and third-placed German Alexander Schmid, this was a first-ever visit to the World Cup podium.
This latest success lifted Odermatt onto 633 points in the race for the overall title, 228 clear of Matthias Mayer.
Pinturault, who had been placed 12th after the first run, called time on his disappointing title defence which sees him languishing in seventh, a massive 339 points adrift.
"I'm way too far behind, it would be idiotic to try to catch up," he conceded, adding that he would likely give the two end-of-year super-Gs in Bormio a miss.
"I'm going to take some time to find my top level.
"I have to be realistic looking at the standings.
"The giant is my strongest discipline and I'm nowhere near in the mix, I have to go away and concentrate on the basics."
© 2021 AFP