The third edition of the Alpine Rockfest turns Italian blue, confirming the strong performances of the Italian giant slalom skiers in the World Cup: Trentino policeman Davide Simoncelli wins ahead of his young teammate Luca De Aliprandini and the seasoned Norwegian fox Aksel Lund Svindal. The big news is the defeat of Ted Ligety, who skied out in the grand final after showing he was still the best on skis. Last year he had edged out Borsotti by just one hundredth of a second.
In the tightly contested five-man final, American Ted Ligety, the fastest in the first two runs, saw his chance for a repeat vanish due to a mistake five gates from the finish. He was the strongest on the slope, but it took just a small mishap to shuffle the deck and carry Simoncelli to triumph. Third went to Aksel Lund Svindal, the new international ambassador for Trentino, fourth to Finland’s Marcus Sandell; knocked out in the second round was Max Blardone by just two hundredths at the hands of young De Aliprandini, who left no regrets over Borsotti’s absence.
With his victory, Davide Simoncelli gave himself a priceless Christmas present: a check for 70 thousand euros and a win that had eluded him since March 2006, when he triumphed in the World Cup giant slalom in Yongpyong, South Korea. This year he arrived at the start of the season behind in conditioning due to a serious injury suffered at the end of June. Despite this, he has shone both in the World Cup (third in Beaver Creek, fifth in Alta Badia) and in the thrilling Alpine Rockfest. Aside from Ligety, Simoncelli was consistently the best of the rest, also able to rely on skis designed with last year’s specifications, equipment that gives him greater confidence. In the final too, Davide skied fast, putting even more pressure on Ligety, who made the fatal mistake.
The Alpine Rockfest once again proved to be a thrilling, adrenaline-filled show, capable of drawing a cheering crowd to the foot of the Olimpionica 2 slope, ready to enjoy the live music set featuring three Trentino bands—Rebel Rootz, Le Origini della Specie, and The Bastard Sons of Dioniso—performing on the stage set up slopeside against the backdrop of the Brenta Dolomites.
Final results:
1. Davide Simoncelli, 33″85
2. Luca De Aliprandini, 33″98
3. Aksel Lund Svindal (Nor), 34″18
4. Marcus Sandell (Fin), 34″42
5. Ted Ligety (Usa), DNF
Eliminated in the second round: Max Blardone, Florian Eisath, Cyprien Richard, Truls Ove Karlsen, Warner Nickerson;
Eliminated in the first round: Mirko Deflorian, Tommy Ford, Leif Kristian Haugen, Marcel Mathis, Adam Zampa, Jon Olsson.
INTERVIEWS:
Davide Simoncelli: “when I arrived at the start for the decisive run, I told myself: “Davide, go for broke”. And that’s what I did. I had fun and, honestly, when Ligety went out I almost felt bad. He’s human too, at least for one day. Ted still showed today that he is the fastest of all, but in a race like the Alpine Rockfest you have to make it to the finish. I won partly thanks to his mistake, but I can say I was good at seizing the opportunity. The race format is fantastic, it puts a lot of pressure on you. As for the equipment, I used last year’s skis and that’s also why you saw me skiing down with a smile on my face. In Adelboden, unfortunately, I’ll go back to facing the same difficulties as at the start of the season, although my physical shape is good and I’m confident. What will I do with the 70 thousand euros? I’ll put them in the bank”
Luca De Aliprandini: “the defeat hurts less than it might have since the winner was a teammate and friend like Davide Simoncelli, but second place is still the worst spot in an all-or-nothing race like the Alpine Rockfest, because you see the big prize within reach and in the end you go home empty-handed. Looking back calmly, though, I can say I put together three good runs and had fun. It’s a result that boosts morale and, after eleventh place in Val Badia, gives me new confidence”
Ted Ligety: “I clocked the fastest time in the first two runs and made a mistake in the third, the decisive one, but that’s precisely the appeal of a race like the Alpine Rockfest. Second place counts for nothing and you have to go all out, there are no leads to manage: just one small distraction and you’re out. That’s what happened to me, on a very fast and demanding course. I skied with the new equipment, also because, given how I’m skiing and the results of the first part of the season, it would have been pointless to change them. I’ve adapted and at this point there’s no reason to keep protesting the system”
Aksel Lund Svindal: “when I think about how I started my day, qualifying for the second “run” by just one hundredth of a second, I can only be happy to have been able to fight all the way to the end. I’m satisfied with my race. The event format is fantastic, spectacular for the crowd and great for us athletes too: we have fun, spend time together, and there’s tight competition, just the way we like it”
Massimiliano Blardone: “I missed out on the grand final by a whisker, but I still had fun and now I’ll celebrate Christmas with my wife Simona and my son Alessandro. There’s nothing to say, the others were faster than me. I skied with last year’s equipment and I think I skied well, unfortunately it wasn’t enough. The Alpine Rockfest is truly a great event: great course, great race format, everything is really nice. I hope to come back to get my revenge“
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