Zagreb: Grange battles all of Croatia for win
Jean-Baptiste Grange can lay claim to the Snow Queen Trophy, much to the chagrin of Ivica Kostelic and thousands of his staunchest supporters. Grange outsped Kostelic for the win in Croatia’s only World Cup men’s race, winning by a narrow .05 of a second margin.
A thick fog over the first run of the slalom in the outskirts of Croatia’s largest city of Zagreb had little effect on the final outcome as the race eventually came down to the two slalom standings leaders. The fog, however, did have a major effect.
In third was Italian Giuliano Razzoli. At 24 years of age, Razzoli has been ripping on the Europa Cup stage recently, tallying two slalom podiums in his last two EC starts. He was seventh after the first run and skied to third displacing two better considered Italians to do so. Manfred Moelgg was relegated to fourth while teammate Patrick Thaler, third after the first run, sunk to finish 13th.Jean-Baptiste Grange can lay claim to the Snow Queen Trophy, much to the chagrin of Ivica Kostelic and thousands of his staunchest supporters. Grange outsped Kostelic for the win in Croatia’s only World Cup men’s race, winning by a narrow .05 of a second margin.
A thick fog over the first run of the slalom in the outskirts of Croatia’s largest city of Zagreb had little effect on the final outcome as the race eventually came down to the two slalom standings leaders. The fog, however, did have a major effect.
In third was Italian Giuliano Razzoli. At 24 years of age, Razzoli has been ripping on the Europa Cup stage recently, tallying two slalom podiums in his last two EC starts. He was seventh after the first run and skied to third displacing two better considered Italians to do so. Manfred Moelgg was relegated to fourth while teammate Patrick Thaler, third after the first run, sunk to finish 13th.
Swede Johan Brolenius, with a solid second run, moved to fifth.
It was a race of opportunity for many. Skiers with bibs as high as 70 made the cut for the second run as the fog slowly lifted off the course. Racers after bib 50 had perfectly clear conditions and many – like Lars Myhre, ninth after the first run from the 70th start – took advantage,finishing seventh.
It was not a great day for the Americans. Ted Ligety was in position to make a charge from the 16th slot after the first run, and tore up the top of the course only to commit a major error and slide down to finish near the bottom of the results sheet. Bode Miller chose the wrong boots, electing to go with a new pair then having them ruled 0.2mm too high after the first run, resulting in a disqualification. Millers undoing gave Cody Marshall a second run and he responded with his first points of the season.
Michael Janyk was the top North American on the day getting his first score of the season in tenth. He is the 16th Canadian this season to score. “On my second run I skied unbelievably at the top and then I got some nerves. I started thinking about finishing. I was holding back a bit because I wanted to make it to the bottom,” Janyk said. “All in all, it was a pretty good day though.”
In the end, though, it came down to Grange and Kostelic, the latter fueled by thousands of vocal air horn touting fans and the former fueled by the thought of silencing thousands of vocal fans.
“I was impressed by Grange,” Kostelic told reporters. “I knew I would not have so many chances to win in front of my home crowd. … I skied two runs at 110percent and still he managed to beat me.”
“I think today I won one of my most difficult and most significant victories,” said Grange, “because I won away, in my rival’s home after starting behind him in both runs.”
With little to be overly excited about, U.S. coach Sasha Rearick could get amped up for Marshall’s 21st place result.
“Cody has taken a step in the right direction,” Rearick said. “We knew he was able to do it. Now we got into the month of January to build momentum and he’s in a good palce to do that.”
That message seems to have gotten through. Said Marshall, “It’s nice to score some points. In my second run I made a little bit of a mistake in the middle section, but I thought I skied the pitch really well. I want to carry this momentum.”
Ligety skied his first run in some of the thickest of the fog and did well to finish 16th. It was the second run that was his undoing. “The second run he skied really well up top,” said Rearick, “and then on the flat he came to his inside ski a little too quickly and stopped. Once he hiked back in I was pleased with his skiing, but it wasn’t a good day for Ted.”
The SCOOP
By Hank McKee
Equipment
Men’s Slalom (night) Zagreb, Croatia, Jan. 6, 2009
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Grange, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
2 Kostelic, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
3 Razzoli, Nordica/Nordica/
4 Moelgg, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
5 Brolenius, Elan/Nordica/Elan
6 Raich, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
7 Myhre, Rossignol/Tecnica/Marker
7 Herbst, Blizzard/Rossignol/Rossignol
9 Lizeroux, Dynastar/Lange/Look
10 Bechter, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
10 Janyk, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
Men’s night slalom, Zagreb, Croatia, Jan. 6, 2009. … The Snow Queen Trophy Race. … It is the 15th race of the men’s 38 race 2009 World Cup schedule. … The third of 10 scheduled slaloms and the first of two scheduled night slaloms. … It is the seventh World Cup race held at Zagreb at Mount Sljeme, all of them slaloms. … It is the second men’s slalom and the first night men’s slalom at Zagreb. … Traditionally a women’s only stop, organizers have elected to maintain the Snow Queen moniker even though men joined the fray last season.
It is the sixth career World Cup win for Jean-Baptiste Grange. … His fifth in slalom. … And his second win of the season, the other coming at Levi Nov. 16. … He has also been second twice this season once in combined at Val d’Isere Dec. 12 and in slalom at Alta Badia Dec. 22 when Kostelic beat him. … He has been first or second in every slalom to date this season. … It is his first result at Zagreb.
It is the 25th career World Cup podium for Ivica Kostelic. … His 20th in slalom. … He has been second in both men’s slaloms at Zagreb, finishing behind Mario Matt last season. … It is his third podium of the season having won the slalom at Alta Badia Dec. 22 and finishing second in GS at Alta Badia Dec. 21.
It is the first career World Cup podium for Giuliano Razzoli and his first score of the season. … His previous best had been 14th Jan. 6, 2008 at Adelboden. … All six of this World Cup scoring results have come in slalom. … He placed third in his last two Europa Cup starts, also in slalom.
It is the 12th career top 10 World Cup result for Michael Janyk, all in slalom. … It is his first score of this World Cup season. … He becomes the 16th Canadian to tally Cup points this season. … The seventh to score a top 10 result. … It is the third career World Cup scoring result for Cody Marshall all in slalom. … It is his second scoring result at Zagreb having placed 23rd a season ago. … His career best is 19th at Wengen Jan. 12, 2008. … It is the ninth scoring result of the season for Ted Ligety. … The 31st of his career.
Grange takes over control of the overall standings 466-444 for Aksel Lund Svindal (did not race). … Benjamin Raich (sixth in race) is third at 433. … Bode Miller in tenth with 290pts is the top American with Ligety one placing back with 282. … Grange also leads the slalom standings 280-225 over Kostelic. … Raich is third at 100pts. … Miller is the top American in fifth with 80pts.
| Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total Time | FIS Points |
| 1 | 6 | 192665 | GRANGE Jean-Baptiste | 1984 | FRA | 53.91 | 59.40 | 1:53.31 | 0.00 |
| 2 | 5 | 380260 | KOSTELIC Ivica | 1979 | CRO | 54.18 | 59.18 | 1:53.36 | 0.26 |
| 3 | 43 | 293098 | RAZZOLI Giuliano | 1984 | ITA | 54.88 | 58.78 | 1:53.66 | 1.85 |
| 4 | 7 | 292491 | MOELGG Manfred | 1982 | ITA | 54.51 | 59.25 | 1:53.76 | 2.38 |
| 5 | 28 | 500499 | BROLENIUS Johan | 1977 | SWE | 55.18 | 58.90 | 1:54.08 | 4.08 |
| 6 | 1 | 50625 | RAICH Benjamin | 1978 | AUT | 55.81 | 58.36 | 1:54.17 | 4.55 |
| 7 | 70 | 421400 | MYHRE Lars Elton | 1984 | NOR | 54.90 | 59.32 | 1:54.22 | 4.82 |
| 7 | 2 | 50605 | HERBST Reinfried | 1978 | AUT | 55.63 | 58.59 | 1:54.22 | 4.82 |
| 9 | 3 | 191459 | LIZEROUX Julien | 1979 | FRA | 55.27 | 59.01 | 1:54.28 | 5.14 |
| 10 | 44 | 50931 | BECHTER Patrick | 1982 | AUT | 55.68 | 58.84 | 1:54.52 | 6.41 |
| 10 | 33 | 102435 | JANYK Michael | 1982 | CAN | 54.89 | 59.63 | 1:54.52 | 6.41 |
| 12 | 51 | 191640 | ANSELMET Alexandre | 1980 | FRA | 55.13 | 59.44 | 1:54.57 | 6.67 |
| 13 | 21 | 290732 | THALER Patrick | 1978 | ITA | 54.40 | 1:00.22 | 1:54.62 | 6.94 |
| 14 | 45 | 560355 | VALENCIC Mitja | 1978 | SLO | 55.07 | 59.57 | 1:54.64 | 7.04 |
| 15 | 18 | 560425 | VAJDIC Bernard | 1980 | SLO | 54.63 | 1:00.12 | 1:54.75 | 7.63 |
| 16 | 20 | 50624 | PRANGER Manfred | 1978 | AUT | 54.96 | 59.80 | 1:54.76 | 7.68 |
| 17 | 13 | 290478 | ROCCA Giorgio | 1975 | ITA | 55.13 | 59.67 | 1:54.80 | 7.89 |
| 18 | 12 | 501017 | MYHRER Andre | 1983 | SWE | 55.25 | 59.66 | 1:54.91 | 8.47 |
| 19 | 4 | 50707 | MATT Mario | 1979 | AUT | 54.76 | 1:00.22 | 1:54.98 | 8.84 |
| 20 | 14 | 201702 | NEUREUTHER Felix | 1984 | GER | 55.59 | 59.58 | 1:55.17 | 9.85 |
| 21 | 48 | 533739 | MARSHALL Cody | 1982 | USA | 55.98 | 59.34 | 1:55.32 | 10.64 |
| 22 | 65 | 380290 | SAMSAL Dalibor | 1985 | CRO | 54.97 | 1:00.87 | 1:55.84 | 13.40 |
| 23 | 66 | 300804 | MINAGAWA Kentaro | 1977 | JPN | 55.78 | 1:00.07 | 1:55.85 | 13.45 |
| 24 | 25 | 501111 | HARGIN Mattias | 1985 | SWE | 55.44 | 1:01.06 | 1:56.50 | 16.89 |
| 25 | 67 | 250127 | BJOERGVINSSON Bjoergvin | 1980 | ISL | 55.32 | 1:01.25 | 1:56.57 | 17.26 |
| 26 | 32 | 293006 | INNERHOFER Christof | 1984 | ITA | 55.97 | 1:01.21 | 1:57.18 | 20.49 |
| 27 | 56 | 192504 | MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas | 1984 | FRA | 55.30 | 1:02.25 | 1:57.55 | 22.45 |
| 28 | 11 | 534562 | LIGETY Ted | 1984 | USA | 55.17 | 1:08.19 | 2:03.36 | 53.22 |
| 29 | 53 | 910000 | IMBODEN Urs | 1975 | MDA | 55.13 | 1:23.71 | 2:18.84 | 135.19 |
Did not start 1st run: SIMARI BIRKNER Cristian Javier (ARG), ANDERSSON Oscar (SWE)
Did not finish 1st run: OLSSON Matts (SWE), HIRSCHER Marcel (AUT), BERNDT Ondrej (CZE), SKUBE Matic (SLO), STUTZ Paul (CAN), KELLEY Tim (USA), SVINDAL Aksel Lund (NOR), KRYZL Krystof (CZE), VILETTA Sandro (SUI), ZRNCIC-DIM Natko (CRO), YUASA Naoki (JPN), SCHOENFELDER Rainer (AUT), PAQUIN Pierre (FRA), BERTHOD Marc (SUI), BIGGS Patrick (CAN), BRENNER Hannes (AUT), COCHRAN Jimmy (USA), COUSINEAU Julien (CAN), FANARA Thomas (FRA), GRANDI Thomas (CAN), ALBRECHT Daniel (SUI), HOERL Wolfgang (AUT), JANSRUD Kjetil (NOR), KOGLER Stefan (GER), LEINO Jukka (FIN), JITLOFF Tim (USA), NORDH Fredrik (SWE), OLSSON Hans (SWE), ALBRECHT Kilian (BUL)
Disqualified 1st run: MISSILLIER Steve (FRA), MILLER Bode (USA), DEVILLE Cristian (ITA), DRAGSIC Mitja (SLO)
About the Author: Pete Rugh
