Who invited this guy?

Cyprien Richard, named to the French team by Captain Jean-Baptiste Grange for the inaugural World Alpine Rockfest event in Pagnella, Italy Tuesday survived the wild card qualifier and then took out the hired stars to claim a 100,000 euro prize.

Amid lights and flames and with rock music pounding Richard out-sped Swiss sensation of the season Carlo Janka, Italian Davide Simoncelli and former World Cup Champion Aksel Lund Svindal enroute to the win.

Simoncelli appeared to be the star of the night as he moved methodically up the ranks despite being pared against some of the most prestigious names on the current World Cup circuit down the steep Pian Dosson track. Though fog pestered the racers throughout the evening, Richard turned on the afterburners in the finale and got past Simoncelli by eight-hundredths of a second for the win and the big check.

“Receiving a check for 100,000 euros does not happen so often,” Richard said, noting there seemed to be “extraordinary passion,” present at the World Alpine Rockfest. “It is a wonderful promotion of skiing,” he said.

Simoncelli was a bit distraught at having missed out on the top prize, pledging to get to the top step of a World Cup podium as soon as he could. He did say a highlight of the competition for him was crossing the finish line accompanied by the notes of Thunderstruck by AC-DC, his favorite rock song “at full volume.”

American Bode Miller was unable to rise to the challenge with an injured ankle, though he gamely gave it a try. “The right ankle still hurts,” he said, “plus I got a bad choice of skis.” He added he felt the event has “a great future. It is an original event organized very well.”

Photo of Richard courtesy Rockfest.

Classifica manche finale
1. Cyprien RICHARD          FRA    29”57
2. Carlo JANKA                 SUI     +0,08
3. Davide SIMONCELLI       ITA     +0,16
4. Aksel-Lund SVINDAL       NOR    +0,32
 
Classifica terza manche
1. Davide SIMONCELLI       ITA     29”65
2. Carlo JANKA                 SUI     +0,06
3. Cyprien RICHARD           FRA    +0,09
4. Aksel-Lund SVINDAL       NOR   +0,26
5. Ted LIGETY                           USA   +0,27
6. Marc BERTHOD             SUI     +0,76
7. Julien LIZEROUX            FRA    +0,93
n.c. Alberto SCHIEPPATI     ITA
 
Classifica seconda manche
1. Cyprien RICHARD           FRA    29”62
2. Davide SIMONCELLI       ITA     +0,01
3. Alberto SCHIEPPATI       ITA     +0,15
4. Carlo JANKA                 SUI     +0,16
5. Aksel-Lund SVINDAL       NOR    +0,32
6. Marc BERTHOD             SUI     +0,33
7. Ted LIGETY                           USA   +0,39
8. Julien LIZEROUX            FRA    +0,43
9. Tommy FORD                USA   +0,45
10. Marcel HIRSCHER AUT    +0,61
11. Tim JITLOFF               USA   +0,79
12. Christof INNERHOFER    ITA     +1,11
 
Classifica prima manche
1. Marcel HIRSCHER          AUT    29:22
2. Ted LIGETY                           USA   +0,12
3. Aksel-Lund SVINDAL       NOR   +0,18
4. Cyprien RICHARD           FRA    +0,25
5. Tommy FORD                USA    +0,30
6. Marc BERTHOD             SUI     +0,40
7. Alberto SCHIEPPATI       ITA     +0,43
8. Davide SIMONCELLI       ITA     +0,44
9. Carlo JANKA                 SUI     +0,52
10. Christof INNERHOFER     ITA     +0,64
11. Julien LIZEROUX          FRA    +0,82
12. Tim JITLOFF               USA   +0,91
13. Matthias HARGIN         SWE   +0,99
14. Philip SCHOERGHOFER    AUT    +1,16
15. Bode MILLER               USA   +1,17
16. Felix NEUREUTHER        GER    +1,30
17. Marco BUECHEL           LIE     +1,36
18. M. OSBORNE-PARADIS   CAN    +1,55