Christof Innerhofer returns to the front of the pack on the Stelvio

Christof Innerhofer first

Innerhofer places a paw on the Stelvio. It started to get serious in Bormio, and in the first timed run the best time was Inner’s. Arriving in droves on Christmas Day, the downhill racers began to feel the pulse of a beautiful and very difficult slope that is the Stelvio. Despite temperatures being well above freezing, the Bormina slope was in excellent condition, thanks in part to the expert work of Massimo Rinaldi and his team. Trial lasted until 2:25 p.m. due to the falls of Frenchmen Matthieu Bailet and Victor Schuller.

The best in the first timed run, always keeping in mind that in the trials some skiers try lines and certainly do not give their best, was an excellent Christof Innerhofer who, although also slowing down in the final, printed a 1’57″92. Second place for Canada’s James Crawford, 1’58″18, ahead of France’s Adrien Fresquet, who came down with number 61, 1’58″19. The two big guys, Kilde and Odermatt, set the 12th and 18th times respectively, while Austrian Vincent Kriechmayr, winner of the first Val Gardena downhill, placed 15th. Among the Italians, said of Innerhofer, also of note were the seventh place of Mattia Casse, 1’58″89, and the ninth of Bormino Pietro Zazzi, 1’59″03, the eleventh of Dominik Paris and the seventeenth of Matteo Marsaglia, the 23rd of Matteo Franzoso, 2’00″07, the 34th of Florian Schieder, 2’01″20, the 35th of Giovanni Franzoni, 2’01″25, the 42nd of Benjamin Jacques Alliod, 2’01″82, and the 43rd of Nicolo Molteni, 2’01″84.