31 small dots now separate them.
Far, very far from the 277 gap units identified in mid-January.
The French Alexis Pinturault and the Swiss Marco Odermatt are preparing to engage in a duel as exciting as it is unexpected for the title of best skier of the World Cup.
The Courchevel native was thought to be alone at the wheel of his destiny since the serious knee injury of Norwegian title holder Aleksander Aamodt Kilde.
He will finally have to resist from Wednesday to Sunday in Lenzerheide (Switzerland) a 23-year-old racing car that we expected one day or another at the top but not necessarily from 2021.
To put it simply, the fight for the big crystal globe, which risks spinning more than one calculator, will be played out over four races.
They will play at least two in common: the Super-G, Thursday, and the giant, Saturday.
But that's about all we know and that's what makes the next five days so exciting.
For the rest, we grope.
"He no longer has a margin, he must send himself"
What mental freshness for Pinturault, who sees his rival inexorably swallow up his delay and faults clearing up a hitherto idyllic season?
After missing a giant door at the Cortina Worlds in February, he fell on Sunday during the second round of the slalom in Kranjska Gora (Slovenia).
The whole day after a 4th place which he described as a “mass blow” to the giant.
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“He had a big disillusionment.
But we can not say that he had missed his races so far.
Simply, Odermatt is on a cloud, relativizes Kévin Page, coach of the French men's team.
Alexis still skis very fast.
He no longer has a margin, he must send himself.
But that makes things easier for him.
He has no more calculations to do and he is never as good as in this position.
“Last year, the native of Courchevel excelled in this role of a bit hothead hunter, like Odermatt, and came close to the overall title.
The Covid-19 had decided otherwise and ended the season prematurely, to the delight of Kilde.
There is no question that the ardor of a young Swiss does not come to steal this time what stretches its arms to him.
And do not break his quest, the one for which a dedicated staff was granted to him by the Federation to help him succeed Jean-Claude Killy (1967, 1968) and Luc Alphand (1997).
“He has been giving himself with this private structure for three years.
Even if the dynamic is not really in his favor and he looks marked this weekend, Pinturault will win through experience, ”predicts Benjamin Melquiond, former French Super-G champion. (1997, 2000) and briefly at the head of the French women's team (2013-2014).
The descent already decisive?
We may have to wait until Sunday and the slalom for Melquiond's wish to come true.
Pinturault will then set off alone.
But by then, the phlegmatic Odermatt could very well take the lead.
The descent promises to be capital.
The bad weather prevented the skiers from recognizing the course on Monday and Tuesday.
Perhaps it will therefore simply be canceled this Wednesday morning, in which case no postponement is planned.
Such a scenario would benefit Pinturault because, if Odermatt is now blowing the Frenchman's calves, it is in part thanks to his versatility and speed performance.
Anything but a specialist at the start of the season, he dazzled the circuit by finishing the last three descents in the top 10 and failing at the foot of the Worlds podium.
Marco Odermatt during his victory over the giant Kranjska Gora on March 13.
AFP / Jure Makovec JURE MAKOVEC
Alexis Pinturault has also registered for this first event, without this obliging him to participate.
He is anything but a benchmark in practice, with five World Cup tries, he has never done better than 16th place in 2012. “If, during training, he feels good, why not? ?
indicates Kévin Page.
Do not take crazy risks in bad weather and fall.
But, if not, physically, he has everything he needs.
He will go if he feels he has something to do with it.
“Throughout the week, only the first fifteen times will get points.
The first 100, the second 80, the third 60… and the fifteenth 16. Luc Alphand, winner in pain in 1997, impatiently awaits the outcome of this descent but does not necessarily validate the idea that Pinturault is participating in it.
According to him, "it will be settled on Saturday on the giant".
"And this little game, he weighs, Alexis is more prowled under pressure.
He is not the type to let himself be eaten up ”.
The program
Wednesday March 17th.
12:15 p.m .: men's descent;
1:45 p.m .: Women's descent.
Thursday March 18.
9:30 am: Super G women;
11am: Super G men.
Friday March 19.
12 p.m .: Team Event.
Saturday March 20
.
Giant men (1st round 9h, 2nd round 12h).
Women's slalom.
(1st round 10:30 am, 2nd round 13:30).
Sunday March 21.
Giant women (1st round 9h, 2nd round 12h).
Men's slalom (1st round 10:30 am, 2nd round 13:45).