ADELBODEN, Switzerland: France’s Alexis Pinturault held his nerve to edge Austrian rival Marcel Hirscher by 0.04 seconds to claim victory in the World Cup men’s giant slalom in the Swiss resort of Adelboden on Saturday.
An aggressive second run saw Hirscher move into pole position, with just compatriot Philipp Schoerghofer and Pinturault, world and Olympic giant bronze medallist, to race.
Schoerghofer made no impression, eventually finishing 1.94sec off the pace in third.
But Pinturault, enjoying a 0.70sec lead from the first run, clung on in his second descent down a rapidly deteriorating track that saw him finish with a combined time of 2min 23.99sec for a 19th victory on the World Cup circuit.
Hirscher was just four-hundredths adrift, his second place consolidating his place atop the World Cup overall standings, on 833 points, 268pts ahead of Pinturault, the Austrian eclipsing the Frenchman by 44pts in the discipline rankings.
It was the Austrian’s 100th World Cup podium, drawing level with Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg, Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark holding the record of 165.
Hirscher, a two-time world giant slalom silver medallist, has three times won the discipline’s crystal globe and is chasing a sixth overall title this season.
An aggressive second run saw Hirscher move into pole position, with just compatriot Philipp Schoerghofer and Pinturault, world and Olympic giant bronze medallist, to race.
Schoerghofer made no impression, eventually finishing 1.94sec off the pace in third.
But Pinturault, enjoying a 0.70sec lead from the first run, clung on in his second descent down a rapidly deteriorating track that saw him finish with a combined time of 2min 23.99sec for a 19th victory on the World Cup circuit.
Hirscher was just four-hundredths adrift, his second place consolidating his place atop the World Cup overall standings, on 833 points, 268pts ahead of Pinturault, the Austrian eclipsing the Frenchman by 44pts in the discipline rankings.
It was the Austrian’s 100th World Cup podium, drawing level with Marc Girardelli of Luxembourg, Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark holding the record of 165.
Hirscher, a two-time world giant slalom silver medallist, has three times won the discipline’s crystal globe and is chasing a sixth overall title this season.
