Every weekend a race – that was the motto of the DAV National team in the past few weeks. After the World Cup in Ahrntal and the DM Vertical at the Jenner last weekend in January there was the second World Cup in Les Marecootes (SUI) in our competition calendar. This time a smaller Team went on the journey in the western Switzerland – Alexander Schuster had to stay at home because of illness and also Philipp Reiter and Thomas Trainer, which got a visitor starting place at the World Cup upbeat in Italy yet, spent their weekend otherwise. But Junior World Champion Toni Palzer (Berchtesgaden) took part instead. After his win from the Jenner and overcoming his flu he had enough power and self-confidence to win in Switzerland. How much Plazer would have liked to compete with the seniors of the men’s class this year, but the international association has changed the rules again, after they dared a first advance in autumn, and cancelled the starts of juniors from the age of 18 in the men’s class. Only the start at the senior team race at the World Championship is open for the juniors. Next to Palzer the German team consists of junior Cornelius Unger (Rosenheim), Sepp Rottmoser (Rosenheim) and Toni Lautenbacher (Bad Tölz). Advisor Bernhard Bliemsrieder and physical therapist Claudia Fuchs look after the legs and other needs of the team.
Sprint race upbeat: Palzer not to beaten
How usual in the meantime at World Cup races, the race weekend in Switzerland consists out of two stages again. It starts with a sprint race on Friday, the main race followed on Saturday. Numerous spectators
arrived for the sprint race already and here the DAV team could hope for finals rightly. Both Sepp Rottmoser - reigning Sprint European Champion – and Toni Palzer have been odds-on favorites on this first stage win. And Palzer showed his own class in the fast discipline as expected. The guy from Berchtesgaden wins superior in the junior group and runs thereby the fourth fastest lap time of all starters –men’s class included! It really is about the time that Palzer is allowed to compete with the men. The second junior also showed himself strong: Cornelius Unger also reached the final and missed with his place 5 - by just 2 seconds -the podium. Unger also set a fast total time and leaves in direct comparison a large part of seniors behind him.
The German Men’s team with bad luck
Sepp Rottmoser was the German hope, who gave his sprint premiere at the Alpine Skiing World Cup this year. The fast guy from Rosenheim set a fragrance where the journey can go with the second fastest time in the qualifying even after a furious start. In the semi-final Rottmoser made a small but deciding mistake: He changed in the heat of the moment and a full crowd slightly outside of the marked transition area and got a time penalty. With this penalty it was impossible for Rottmoser to reach the final under the top six. Angrily - but informative! Maybe the early retirement at the WM dress rehearsal a good omen in view of the WM start in two week .. who knows? And also the second DAV starter of the men’s team expressed solidarity with Rottmoser. Toni Lautenbacher, who started the first time at a World Cup sprint competition, got also a penalty time because he faulty fixed his skies on his rucksack, otherwise he would gain the quarter-final for sure. So Lautenbacher stayed place 36 at the end. Consolation money for Rottmoser was place 8 in the Espoir class (comply with U23), in the men’s class he placed 8.
Single race with world-class line facilities: Palzer onwards the road to success
But there was still the single race next day, and there waited a real alpine hammer with about 2000 difference in altitude (juniors: 1600), a great trail facility and technical passages in climb and downhill. There were 250 difference in altitude to overbear alone in the climbing passage. And here Toni Palzer was in his element. He runs to meet a invulnerably start-finish win and ensured the stage win with over 5 minutes lead ahead the Italians Nadir Maguet und Luca Faifer. Cornelius Unger came in eighth but with already 16 minutes deficit indeed to his team colleague Palzer. Hence he stays unbeaten on all ISMF single races (World Cup, WM/EM)since more than 4 (!) years - a respectable balance! The Spaniard Kilian Jornet ensured a further win for the men ahead of husky
Espoir Matheo Jaquemoud (FRA) and the Italian Matteo Eydallin. The German representatives could hold good laces in the midfield - at 2000 race track Sepp Rottmoser finished with 17,5 minutes behind the winner on place 22 (Espoirs: 8). Although he was on place 16 longtime - but downhill, after the second change, Rottmoser ran in a bump and had to complete the rest of the race with broken material after a fall. Team colleague Lautenbacher followed 2,5 minutes later on place 27 (Espoirs: 10). In the preexcisting power density in the actual World Cup action it is pretty hard to run in the top 15 - even if the DAV representatives have it in themselves for it on a good day in either case. Even there have been massive problems with the results lists. Worthely was the good atmosphere locally - numerous spectators visited the races - as well as the hospitality of the valley recidence. The German team have been invited to wine & bacon on impulse - so you can regenerate well!
Regeneration is necessary - maybe better with less wine, because in two weeks the WM in Pelvoux (FRA) - the absolute highlight of the year - is on our calendar. The nominations for the World Championship should be announced within this week - not yet all the starting places are placed.
The complete results of the World Cup alpine skiing in Les Marecottes under www.ismf-ski.org> races > results
Fotogallery Stephan Mantler - www.stephanmantler.com - further pictures and info about the World Cup and further races are to find on the fb-fan site of the German Team "German Skimountaineering Team".
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