#Alpine #skiing #Straßer #victory #Palisades #Tahoe
Despite a comfortable lead, Linus Straßer missed his third win of the season. In Palisades Tahoe (USA) he had to give way to Manuel Feller, of all people.
Straßer started the second round on Sunday (February 25, 2024) with a lead of four tenths of a second, but was unable to continue his performance there and had to pay tribute to the increasingly soft slope as the last starter. Manuel Feller moved up from third place to the front and celebrated his fourth win of the season.
“Today I already knew that it was still possible,” said the 31-year-old Austrian on ORF: “It was an extremely difficult run, especially a lot of tactics.” Behind him, the Frenchman Clement Noel crossed the finish line (+0.28 seconds), and Straßer also made it onto the podium in third place (+0.38).
Small crystal ball recedes into the distance
But that was probably only small consolation. After all, after his prestigious successes in Kitzbühel and Schladming, Straßer had his third World Cup victory this winter very close in sight. The 31-year-old could also have gained further ground on Feller in the discipline rankings if he had been successful in Palisades Tahoe.
The Austrian expanded his lead and now leads with 204 points. With three races still remaining this winter, Straßer’s chances of winning the small crystal ball are now only theoretical. “He won’t let that go anymore,” said Straßer with certainty.
After the first round on the challenging Olympic slope in 1960, everything was still in his favor. The Munich native found his rhythm effortlessly, hardly had any slipping phases and delivered a phenomenal ride, especially on steep slopes. In his time, the competition cut its teeth in rows. Only Noel and Feller were able to keep the gap within limits.
Strasser cannot counter Feller
In the second run, which was much faster and more twisty, driving skills and the courage to take risks were required, especially in the upper part. Numerous athletes were eliminated. The Norwegian Atle Lie McGrath, for example, who was able to gain 15 places, showed how things could get better. When the fight for the top spots finally got serious, the slope had already become noticeably weaker. Feller didn’t take the biggest risks, but thanks to his technical class he got the most out of it, especially on the steep slopes.
As the last driver, Straßer had to deliver a top performance again, which he initially did well. His lead grew to three-quarters of a second before he lost the ideal line in the middle section and ended up slightly on his back due to a few small slides. That was supposed to cost the decisive tenths of a second compared to Feller, who had driven brilliantly, especially on the steep slope.
Strasser is the only German in the final
Apart from Straßer, no other German made it into the second round. Sebastian Holzmann didn’t make any major mistakes, but he still lacked liveliness. The 30-year-old from Oberstdorf never found his line and crossed the finish line in 46th place, over four seconds behind. Anton Tremmel (Rottach-Egern/+3.92 seconds) and Fabian Himmelsbach (Sonthofen/+3.96) did slightly better in places 38 and 40, but they were still only left with the role of spectators in the final.
The technology specialists’ trip to the USA continues next weekend with two giant slaloms and a slalom in Aspen. Then Marco Odermatt will also set his sights on the next records. The Swiss had already secured victory in the overall World Cup the day before and for the third time in a row.
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