ALPINE SKI. Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER) must hold a special place in Alexis Pinturault's heart. In the German venue, Pinturault (FRA) achieved a victory at the 2009 Junior World Championships and won his first Giant Slalom World Cup race in 2013.

Today the French man updated his stats with an incredible victory, the second one in Giant Slalom this season!

Despite very difficult conditions due to warm temperatures, a salted track and the rain, Alexis Pinturault was able to fight hard in a bumpy second run and come back from his fourth position achieved in the first run.

Pinturault commented at the end of the race: "I wasn't at my best since the end of December, but I worked a lot and today everything was perfect. I won my first World Cup Giant Slalom here in Garmisch and it's also the place where I won the Junior World Championships in 2009. Here it's special for me!

Runner-up Loic Meillard (SUI) was leading at half time thanks to a solid first run. The Swiss talent was able to keep up with the best ones even in the second run to  achieve his second Giant Slalom podium of his career, finishing 0.16s behind the French.

Third place for Leif Kristian Nestvold-Haugen (NOR), who was able to master both runs wihtout any big troubles. The Norwegian achieved today his second podium of the season after closing in third position already in Beaver Creek's Giant Slalom in early December 2019.

Disappointing second run for Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR), who was 0.08s behind Meillard in run 1. The current leader of the overall standings, was not able to repeat himself in the second run and finished "only" seventh, clocking the 25th time in run 2.

After a couple of days of break, the men's tour will head to Chamonix (FRA) for a Slalom and a Parallel Giant Slalom.

FIS Alpine
02 Feb 2020