A Day of Surprises includes France’s Nils Allegre Securing Career-First Victory at Garmisch-Partenkirchen Super-G

Nils Allegre: GEPA pictures/Harald Steiner

The two men standing atop the Saturday Garmisch-Partenkirchen super-G stage achieved their first career podium finishes. In third, it is a Swiss racer but not Odermatt. Odermatt failed to earn a World Cup super-G podium for the first time since the 2022 season. It was an unusual men’s World Cup speed event day; the gentle slope and slow snow produced interesting outcomes, including that the last racer to start was the only competitor that did not finish.

Allegre

Undoubtedly, during the 2024 season, ski racing has become accustomed to a French skier on top of a World Cup men’s speed podium. Four times this season, Cyprien Sarrazin has earned victory. Today, however, the French winner is his teammate Nils Allegre. Allegre was the 18th racer to ski and used the clean arc, precise line, and good aerodynamics formula to earn his career’s first victory. The thirty-year-old has never before been on a World Cup podium.

“What happened? I don’t know,” admitted Allegre, who had never achieved a World Cup podium before today.

“I felt really bad this morning; I had no power,” the 30-year-old said. “But I saw Cyprien, and I said to myself, ‘Today it’s not his day, it’s mine, so let’s push.’ Normally, I’m not thinking like this, but I don’t know why today I felt like this.”

Bosca

Allegre assumed the lead from Italy’s Guglielmo Bosca. Bosca had finished the course one racer before Allegre. He finished faster than Switzerland’s Loic Meillard and Marco Odermatt, who skied before him. He was the fastest in the opening timing sector and used that momentum to cross the finish in the lead. Like Allegre, this is his career first podium and only (+0.18) from victory.

Bosca said, “Coming here, scoring a podium, it satisfies me so much. It’s really what I was aiming for when I came back from injury, so it’s like a fulfillment for me now.  

“Lately, I’ve been skiing quite well, so I was confident that I can ski fast and keep myself in the front. But coming down and seeing the green light was actually amazing.”

Meillard

The early leader, Meillard, was the fifth racer to ski and delivered an excellent performance. The Kandahar was warm and not the usual test of skiing on the edge of control that happens when the surface is icy and fast.

He took the lead early and saw off all the contenders until Bosca. Today’s Kandahar required clean execution of a precise line and good aerodynamics. He delivered it all. However, unlike the other men with whom he shared the podium, this is the 15th time he has earned a position on the steps. Meillard finished the day (+0.25).

“It was a solid race; I definitely followed the plan that we had,” said Meillard after securing his second career super-G podium. “Salt is never easy; it always reacts a bit differently than you expect, and it’s hard to have a perfect feeling to push. 

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Before Bosca skied, the biggest challenge to Meillard came from his superstar teammate Marco Odermatt. Odermatt is always the super-G prerace favorite. He skied well but fell (+0.03) short of his teammate and the podium. Odermatt finishes the race in fourth (+0.28) behind Allegre. He failed to achieve a World Cup super-G podium for the first time since March 2022.

Fastest Stifel US Ski Team members

Olympic silver medalist Stifel US Ski Team member Ryan Cochran-Siegle (RCS) was the first North American to ski the Kandahar super-G. RCS skied well and was fast in three of the four timing sectors. RCS finishes the race in 10th place (+0.63), his best super-G result of the season.

Cochran-Siegle commented, “It’s one of those races that it’s not that complex of a race course and the hill itself, so you really have to just try to give it your best and try to generate energy as much as possible every turn.”

The next fastest North American was RCS’s teammate, River Radamus. Radamus skied with bib 34 and delivered solid skiing in every sector to finish the day among the super-G points for the first time this season. He finishes 17th (+1.04).

Other North Americans who are among the fastest 30

A season-high Eight North Americans finished among the fastest 30 and earned points.

The other North American to finish the day in the top twenty was Alpine Canada Alpin’s bib one Jeffrey Read in 19th (+1.13). The typically strong Canadian super-G team struggled today to find the speed on this easier and slower-than-usual Kandahar slope.

Four other Canadians found themselves among the 30 fastest. Canada’s Cameron Alexander, 23rd (+1.19), James Crawford, 25th (+1.27), Riley Seger, 27th (+1.31), and his brother Brodie Seger, 28th (+1.32). The four Canadians ended the day earning points.

USA independent Wiley Maple delivered excellence in the Bormio downhill in December and, in this race, earned his first World Cup super-G points since Kitzbühel 2018. He finish the Saturday super-G in 26th (+1.29).

Late starter success

The Kandahar slope was warm and the snow was expertly prepared with water and salt.

“Honestly, I had a very good feeling on the salty snow,” Allegre said. “I know my skis are one of the best in these conditions.”

A testament to the course conditions is that eight racers with start numbers above 30 were among the fastest 30 and scored World Cup super-G points. The quickest was bib 44, Switzerland’s Franjo Von Allmen, who finished 9th (+0.61). The last starter to do so was bib 46 USA Independent Wiley Maple.

If the classic original Kandahar slope is used and the surface is not fast and icy, the battle becomes a test of aerodynamics combined with clean turns. It is not the usual men’s super-G test of pushing the limits of what is possible. Today, only the last racer to leave the start did not finish.

The next opportunity to race super-G on the Kandahar comes tomorrow. If the night temperatures are below freezing, it will be an entirely different race.

Top 30 results Garmisch-Partenkirchen January 27th super-g and Analysis of the fastest three and eight North Americans among the top 30

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Analysis of the fastest three and eight North Americans among the top 30