Kitzbuehel sun shines on Germany’s Thomas Dressen
KITZBUEHEL: Germany’s Thomas Dressen took advantage of the sun peaking through the Tyrolean clouds to upstage a host of more experienced racers with a shock victory in the men’s World Cup downhill in Kitzbuehel yesterday. Widely regarded as the most testing speed event on the World Cup circuit, overcast conditions created bad visibility to make the 3.3kmlong Streif run even more challenging. But Dressen, starting with bib number 19, benefited from a rare clearing of the low cloud cover to streak home in 1min 56.15sec ahead of Switzerland’s Beat Feuz (1:56.35) and Austrian Hannes Reichelt (1:56.56).
It was the 24-year-old’s maiden World Cup victory, his previous best a third place in the Beaver Creek downhill in December. “When I came through to the finish, I couldn’t believe it, I thought they were kidding me. It’s a surprise for me, too,” said Dressen, whose helmet is emblazoned with the number 44, in memory of his father’s initials.
Dirk Dressen was one of nine killed in the Austrian resort of Soelden in September 2005 when a helicopter transporting building materials dropped a concrete block on a cable car line.
Dressen also became the first German to win the Kitzbuehel downhill since Sepp Ferstl in 1979 and the country’s first World Cup downhill winner since Max Rauffer in Val Gardena in 2004. “He had the sun and he was brutal,” Feuz lamented. The victory was perfect timing for Germany ahead of next month’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, notably in the absence of slalom star Felix Neureuther through injury. The hosting of Kitzbuehel’s famed, whiteknuckled downhill was particularly poignant after the start of the ski year was marred by the deaths on North American slopes of France’s David Poisson and German teenager Max Burkhart.
The Hahnenkamm mountain has been the scene of many a gruesome crash. Sliding bodies, flailing skis and helicopter evacuations have become a regular feature and in recent times, Switzerland’s Daniel Albrecht and Austrian Hans Grugger had crashes which brought premature ends to their careers.
This time, no helicopters were required although a handful of skiers came a cropper. Experienced Italian Christof Innerhofer and France’s Johan Clarey, third last year, were both forced into dramatic starfish stances after losing control on the penultimate gate.
Both managed to ski down unaided after being helped out of the safety netting, with the 50,000-strong crowd respectfully silent until the racer was back on his feet. A raised pole in recognition from the felled skier was greeted by raucous applause followed by deafening roars for the next competitor’s breath-taking descent in what becomes a voyeuristic, gladitorial insight into the draw of the ultimate alpine skiing test.
Feuz, starting in number seven, had taken the lead from frontrunner Reichelt, winner in 2014, and it seemed as if the victory might have been his given the failure of big names packed in the opening 10 starters to threaten his time.
Austrians Matthias Mayer, the reigning Olympic downhill champion, and Vincent Kreichmayr both made major mistakes coming into the bottom of the course, —AFP