Would Pinturault’s second overall title be tougher than his first?

Alexis Pinturault demonstrated poise, patience and persistence en route to achieving his first overall World Cup title last season, following consecutive seasons as runner-up to Alexander Aamodt Kilde and Marcel Hirscher, in addition to a trio of third-place finishes.

The veteran French ski racer who has amassed 34 World Cup victories along with Olympic silver and bronze medals, took a giant leap forward in attempting to fulfill the unenviable task and unfair burden of constantly being compared to his legendary countryman, Jean-Claude Killy.

If Pinturault, 30, can ascend to the pinnacle of the ski racing world yet again this season and defend his overall title, he’ll equal Killy at two. The now-78-year-old ski racing icon, actor and celebrity, captured the sport’s first two World Cups between 1966-’68.

Now that Pinturault has hoisted that elusive first large crystal globe and to borrow and blend two clichés – the monkey is off his back, but he now has a target on his back. Ski Racing Media asked Pinturault in Soelden – where he began defense of his title with a fifth-place finish in the season-opening GS – whether he thinks winning No. 2 will be harder or easier than the first.

“That’s a good question – so far I would say it doesn’t change a lot,” Pinturault said prior to the opening race. “Maybe my perceptions or the expectations are a little bit different for me. I still want to be fast, I still want to win some races, but for the overall globe maybe I see it a little bit differently because I already have one.

“Will it be a little bit easier – this I can’t answer just yet,” the Frenchman continues. “I’m sure the competition for the overall globe will stay nearly the same. It’s really difficult – you always have to give your best race-after-race and always competing for victories.

“We will see – I would say, so far my perception is the same and how it will be during the winter, I will have to tell you then.”

Pinturault locked up his first title in style, racing to victory at the season’s GS finale on his birthday, March 20, at World Cup Finals in Lenzerheide. The French champion outdistanced a hard-charging Marco Odermatt by 167 points, while winning five races – four in GS and one in parallel. He earned 331,064 Swiss Francs in prize money for his efforts.

The French racer revealed his tentative game plan for this season, noting that he will start in all technical races, ski some super-Gs and occasional downhills.

One notable change in Pinturault’s plans, as opposed to two years ago (last season all North American races were cancelled due to the pandemic and travel restrictions) and for the first time since 2015, is that he will attend the season-opening speed races in Lake Louise, Canada, in late November.

“If I go to Beaver Creek for two super-Gs, then it would be stupid for me not to prepare first at Lake Louise, even if my expectations are not that high there,” Pinturault says. “It can be a good weekend for me to prepare for the speed events, and then bring 100-percent for Beaver Creek.”

This year for Beaver Creek, the traditional giant slalom has been wiped off the three-day race program, with the addition of a second super-G to the “Birds of Prey” downhill on Saturday.

While Pinturault stresses the necessity for him to sufficiently rest, recover and be selective while choosing from a tightly-packed schedule of World Cup races, in addition to February’s Olympics in China, he also knows that raising his downhill game, considering 11 events on the calendar, would be advantageous. It will be a balancing act for him.

“If you want to bring the performance always higher and higher and always be 100% every weekend or as much as possible, for me I can’t be everywhere – I have to make choices, I have to rest,” Pinturault says.

“In some situations, it can be a little easier for me, especially to practice in those (speed) disciplines, but on the other hand I also have remain strong and fast in tech events, so that is my goal,” he said. “But I will also have more time to prepare for some speed events, speed weekends, and the opportunity to sometimes race downhill, especially in Lake Louise and Beaver Creek. Otherwise, my goals are the same.”

On the combined

Pinturault has raced to four of the last five season titles in the combined, including the last one awarded in 2020. His grand total could have been six, however, among two seasons (2013 and 2014) in which he tallied the most points, FIS did not officially award globes in the discipline.

Ten of Pinturault’s 34 World Cup victories have come in combined and he has also collected an Olympic silver medal from PyeongChang 2018 and gold and silver medals at the last two world championships.

The future of the discipline is in jeopardy as there are no events on this season’s World Cup calendar. Consisting of one downhill run and one slalom run, the event will still be contested at the Beijing Games, possibly for the last time.

Despite his tremendous success in the event, and contrary to Ivica’s Kostelic’s fiery stance, Pinturault is “laissez-faire” regarding the discipline’s potential demise.

“Not really thinking about it – if it will be the last, then it will be the last,” Pinturault says. “Racing is always changing, sports are always changing. We have to focus on the biggest and strongest disciplines, which brings more interest to the people and spectators, and that’s the key for sponsors.”

However, despite his take, Pinturault is well aware of the event’s longstanding tradition.

“For sure, combined has always been a part of history in our sport. When you check the winners in Kitzbuehel – it’s big names in alpine skiing history like (Marc) Girardelli, Lasse Kjus, Kostelic, Bode Miler, Benjamin Raich, Marcel Hirscher, myself, and many others over the years.

“I would not say that it’s necessarily good, but anyways we always have to move forward. Is it the right direction – the future will determine that?

“If there are other possibilities, to make combinations between disciplines, this can be [considered] as well. I will not say that we have to cut out the combined, but maybe change it and bring something new.

Pinturault could conceivably go down, alongside Italian Federica Brignone, as last-ever combined season title winners.

Follow Brian on Twitter – @Brian_Pinelli