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Marco Odermatt is aiming for his first downhill victory on the Streif.
Picture: Keystone
Giovanni Franzoni has won all four downhill training sessions in Wengen and Kitzbühel in the last two weeks. That leaves an impression even on Marco Odermatt.
Two training victories, the Super-G triumph and third place in the Lauberhorn downhill - Giovanni Franzoni is tackling the Kitzbühel week with a lot of self-confidence in his luggage. And the Italian picked up where he left off in the Bernese Oberland. He was the fastest in both training sessions on the Streif, making him the favorite for the upcoming serious battles.
"I like to try out the right racing pace. I want to build up my confidence day by day. That's good for me," said Franzoni in an ORF interview after his race. However, he does not want to claim the role of favorite for himself. "The man to beat is always the same. That's Marco. But a lot of guys are riding well. We will see."
For Odermatt, however, one thing is clear: Franzoni will be hard to beat in Kitzbühel. "His basic speed at the moment is very reminiscent of Cyp (Sarrazin) two years ago. He also had a successful experience in Val Gardena/Gröden and was very difficult to beat from then on. It's exactly the same with Giovanni now. He almost dominated the whole week in Wengen and was by far the fastest here in two training sessions," praised the man from Nidwalden.
But what makes the 24-year-old so fast? "He comes from the giant slalom, you can see that and it helps. He can make the turns just as tight or tighter than me," said Odermatt, adding: "That's difficult for many downhill skiers to do better."
The Lauberhorn winner still didn't reveal his cards in the second training session. "You want to step on the gas. But your body and mind know that it doesn't count yet. You don't push yourself to the limit. But it was a good run with good tension," said the 52-time World Cup winner.
The Streif offers fewer challenges this year than in other years: "It's more of an easy Kitzbühel, that's the way it is. The slope is calmer and less icy than in other years. That basically makes it easier to get down the Streif," Odermatt told Keystone-SDA.
This definitely makes it more difficult to win because the circle of favorites becomes larger in easy conditions. "In Kitzbühel, even lower numbers sometimes have an advantage, there are surprises every year, athletes who throw everything into it and everything works out for them. That's why the podium places will be fiercely contested again this year," he believes.
Wants to win both the super-G on Friday and the downhill on Saturday: Marco Odermatt
sda
Does he take some energy out of the super-G on Friday in order to have enough reserves for the downhill on Saturday? "No, certainly not consciously. You can't control your subconscious, your body decides during the race how much you want to push yourself to the limit and how much you want to win the super-G. But I go to the start with the mindset that I also want to win this Super-G," emphasizes the man from Nidwalden.
Winning the downhill in Kitzbühel is one of the speed king's last big goals: "It's the biggest race in our sport. Winning it is part of being one of the best skiers. Accordingly, the big goal remains to win this downhill race one day - preferably this year, of course. I'm in good shape, I'm healthy and I have good confidence. But it's not as if my season would be bad if I don't win on Saturday," says Odi.
