There is only a very short Christmas break for the Alpine Skiing World Cup: tomorrow the women leave Semmering, in Austria, for the first Giant which counts as the recovery of the one canceled due to bad weather at the start of the season in Soelden.
Then on Wednesday a new Giant and on Thursday a slalom.
All while in Bormio tomorrow there will be the second timed trial of the men on the Stelvio slope in view of the descent on Wednesday followed by a super-G on Thursday.
And there is immediately good news for Italy as the first test went to the blue veteran Christof Innerhoffer who on 28 December 2008 achieved his first success in the World Cup on this slope.
The first appointment is in Semmering and if we talk about Gigante we inevitably talk about the blues Marta Bassino, back from the success in the last race in Sestriere, and Federica Brignone.
But - while in the past Deborah Compagnoni and Karen Putzer won there - for the two the Panorama of Semmering has so far been a haunted track that has always kept them away from the podium.
In 2016, at her debut in Semmering, Bassino finished fifth.
Then nothing more of significance.
The same goes for Federica Brignone as well.
In short, the two blues in Austria will have to fight against unfavorable precedents and erase the bad memories of the haunted track.
Meanwhile in Bormio the blue Christof Innerhofer in 1.57.92 was the fastest in the first timed trial on the Stelvio slope.
"The first test went well, I immediately felt excellent sensations, as indeed had always happened to me since the beginning of the season. But so far, fate hasn't "turned" in the right direction, I don't like fresh snow and so far instead we competed with snowfall in the days preceding the race. In practice I skied calmly, I know the slope by heart... The snow isn't bad, it's a little choppy but I like the snow", guaranteed 'Inner' .
Second time instead for the Canadian James Crawford in 1.58.18 and third for the French Adrier Fresquet in 1.58.
19 with bib number 61. For Italy, the seventh time of Mattia Casse in 1.58.89 (''I will try' to place the paw as with my first podium obtained in Val Gardena'') the ninth of Pietro Zazzi in 1.59.03 and bib 55 and the eleventh of Dominik Paris in 1.59.09.
Just Paris, back from a series of disappointing results, is eagerly awaited on the Stelvio where in his career he has won six downhills and a super-G.
"I would say that the first practice went quite well, especially in some sections. The track is very choppy and quite fast and I haven't been used to these conditions lately. The snow is warm, a little wet but there's a lot of grip. In overall it was a good test.
Tomorrow is the second and final race and 'Domme' too will understand better if he can win again on the Stelvio.
