Photo: Odermatt. Alta Badia. GEPA pictures.

LA VILLA, Italy – Monday’s Alta Badia edition of the Gran Risa started under overcast skies and warm weather. Alta Badia’s weather did not offer the perfect race conditions it had on Sunday. Yesterday it took Marco Odermatt one run to remember he is the best ski racer in the world. However, today skiing with bib two, he took the lead and never relinquished it.

“It was a big improvement to yesterday. I was awake today,” Odermatt said. “I knew with bib No. 2 it was a big advantage today and I had to use it.”

Yesterday’s champion Lucas Braathen had trouble after the first sector and could not finish. Henrik Kristoffersen, who finished in second place yesterday, was second on the first run today, 0.60 seconds behind. 

“That’s how it is. Day and night, such a contrast,” Braathen said. “That error just came out of nowhere. So I was a bit surprised, and even more surprised that I couldn’t save it. But that’s racing, it’s on the limit. And today I was on the wrong side of it.”

Kristoffersen was the only competitor within a second. Loic Meillard of Switzerland continues to ski well and sits in third, 1.10 seconds behind his teammate Odermatt.

An indication that warmer weather affected the course conditions came during the first tv break at bib 15; the time spread was 3.18 seconds. Yesterday’s first-run leader Slovenian Zan Kranjec ran with bib one and sits in fourth, 1.22 seconds behind the leading Odermatt. 

After the first 30, the spread was considerable, 15 racers were more than three seconds behind Odermatt, and six were over four seconds slower. Once skiing resumed, the times climbed even higher, and racers were finishing with times more than five seconds slower than the best time. 

Then this years emerging racers began skiing fast enough to qualify. Last year’s Junior World Champion, Norway’s Alexander Steen Olson, was the best. Skiing with bib 35, Steen Olson finished the first run 19th, 3.46 seconds behind the leading Odermatt. Also two consecutive German racers were the highest bibs to qualify for the afternoon finale. Bib 53 Anton Grammel and 54 Fabian Gratz qualified 26 and 27. The last racer to qualify was France’s Cyprien Sarrazin 4.66 seconds slower than the best time. Sarrazin will, however, be the first to ski the second fun. Hopefully, he will take full advantage of the opportunity.

Canada’s Erik Read 3.43 seconds off the pace in 17th, leads three North Americans into the second run. USA’s River Radamus joins him in 18th place, and Tommy Ford sits in 24th.

Notably, in the season-opening Sölden race, Ford used an early second-run start position to move into sixth place. Look for Ford to provide more excitement today. After he finishes, he likes a long rest in the leader’s chair, watching the second run. 

Conditions should provide an interesting second run; with the fastest running last, they will have the same disadvantage as the higher bibs on the first run. However, they are the best in the world, and we expect them to handle the start number challenge competently.

First run Analysis of top three and North American qualifiers and top 30 results

First run December 19th Alta Badia top 30 GS results

The Associate Press contributed to this report.