We can clearly speak of an almost perfect end to the season for Alexis Pinturault!
Barely 24 hours after winning the general classification of the World Cup, the skier from Courchevel (Savoie) took third place this Sunday in the last race of the winter, at Lenzerheide. , in Swiss.
Ninth at the end of the first round of the slalom, he had a perfect second race, only to fall just 11 hundredths behind the winner of the day, the Austrian Manuel Feller.
In difficult weather conditions, with snow and little visibility, he climbed on the podium for the eighth time this season, his 71st World Cup with 34 victories.
"It's a great way to end and close the winter," said Alexis Pinturault after this lovely Swiss weekend.
[…] I was obviously a little tired and that helped me pick up some pace during the first run.
I didn't have the legs of the fire of God but enough to put some energy into the second to go down.
"
A podium with two 🇫🇷 to end the season!
@AlexPinturault and @clement__noel finished 3rd and 2nd behind #Feller on the #slalom of #Lenzerheide.
@Eurosport_FR @FX_Rallet @SKIVIDAL #ChaletClub pic.twitter.com/EI2IVcSd2g
- Chalet ❄️ Club (@ ChaletClub2021) March 21, 2021
Second after the first round, Clément Noël, 23, took a very satisfactory second place in the end (+ 0''08).
Winner last week in Kranjska Gora (Slovenia), the Vosges ended a season in high demand.
He was trapped during the Cortina Worlds from where he left without a medal.
Note also the eighth place of Victor Muffat-Jeandet.
The last of Jean-Baptiste Grange
This Sunday's slalom was also marked by Jean-Baptiste Grange's last World Cup start.
The French (36 years old) came down the track, strongly applauded by all his competitors.
As tradition dictates, he did not compete for his chances, but took the opportunity to greet all the staff members and the organizers.
The French delegation, led by the brand new retiree Julien Lizeroux, then greeted them by a guard of honor at the bottom of the track.
Double slalom world champion, in 2011 and 2015, and winner of the Specialty World Cup in 2009, Grange was treated to a little champagne, offering a light festive air to the finish area.