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Kathrin Hoelzl savors her first World Cup win Saturday on a rutted, challenging course down the face of Aspen Mountain.
German Kathrin Hoelzl won the opening race of the Aspen Winternational on Saturday, beating Kathrin Zettel of Austria by less than two-tenths of a second on a demanding course down the face of Aspen Mountain. Teenager Federica Brignone of Italy was third, her best-ever finish on a day when four Italian women landed in the top 10.
In the only North American stop for the World Cup women this season, American racers disappointed.
The best they could do was 13th, a let-down after Lindsey Vonn's fourth place here in the GS last year. Vonn, the two-time World Cup overall champion, didn't make the cut for the second run: she was more than four seconds off the pace on a rock solid, steep course hampered by flat light.
Vonn told reporters she struck a rock in the top half of the course, which left her with a damaged edge. Teammate Julia Mancuso, the reigning Olympic champion in giant slalom, had a better day.
“It was nice to make it down two solid runs,” Mancuso said, a feat in light of the challenging conditions. The Californian spoke of the difficult, rutted surface on the Spring Pitch and Strawpile sections that caused her skis to “chatter” excessively. Course crews completed a process known as “injection” that's common in alpine racing to ensure firm conditions that hold up for all racers.
Vonn, who now lives full time just over the hill in Vail, has a chance at redemption in tomorrow's slalom, which begins at 10 a.m. for the first run, 1 p.m. for the second.
In the season's first slalom, held in Finland earlier in the month, Vonn was runnerup, just behind Maria Riesch of Germany. Finland's Tanja Poutianinen, who normally does well in the Aspen Winternational races, was third in that event.
This was Kathrin Hoezl's first World Cup victory, though she is the reigning World Champion in the discipline. The only other American in the top 30 was Sarah Schleper, also of Vail.
A moment of levity took over the race day when French skier Anne-Sophie Barthet performed an impromptu dance in the finish area that was worthy of an NFL player. The capacity crowd in attendance for the first day of the Audi Aspen Winternational FIS World Cup loved it.
In the only North American stop for the World Cup women this season, American racers disappointed.
The best they could do was 13th, a let-down after Lindsey Vonn's fourth place here in the GS last year. Vonn, the two-time World Cup overall champion, didn't make the cut for the second run: she was more than four seconds off the pace on a rock solid, steep course hampered by flat light.
Vonn told reporters she struck a rock in the top half of the course, which left her with a damaged edge. Teammate Julia Mancuso, the reigning Olympic champion in giant slalom, had a better day.
“It was nice to make it down two solid runs,” Mancuso said, a feat in light of the challenging conditions. The Californian spoke of the difficult, rutted surface on the Spring Pitch and Strawpile sections that caused her skis to “chatter” excessively. Course crews completed a process known as “injection” that's common in alpine racing to ensure firm conditions that hold up for all racers.
Vonn, who now lives full time just over the hill in Vail, has a chance at redemption in tomorrow's slalom, which begins at 10 a.m. for the first run, 1 p.m. for the second.
In the season's first slalom, held in Finland earlier in the month, Vonn was runnerup, just behind Maria Riesch of Germany. Finland's Tanja Poutianinen, who normally does well in the Aspen Winternational races, was third in that event.
This was Kathrin Hoezl's first World Cup victory, though she is the reigning World Champion in the discipline. The only other American in the top 30 was Sarah Schleper, also of Vail.
A moment of levity took over the race day when French skier Anne-Sophie Barthet performed an impromptu dance in the finish area that was worthy of an NFL player. The capacity crowd in attendance for the first day of the Audi Aspen Winternational FIS World Cup loved it.
