13.03.2023
Crown from Kristoffern to Odermatt
The spring snow conditions suited Marc Odermatt better this time. This year the battle for the Crystal Gobos was also decided in Kranjska Gora.
Warm temperatures and rain marked the last week of preparations for the Vitranc Cup. The track workers had to work hard and put maximum effort into grooming the track by injecting water into the snow several times. Just before the race, the weather also took the organisers' side with two cold nights, during which the snow surface hardened considerably.
On the frosty and salt-fortified slope, the greatest masters of the basic ski discipline, giant slalom, were at their best. On both days, the same three skiers, Marco Odermatt, Henrik Kristoffersen, who won both Vitranc Cup races last year, and Alexis Pinturault, who has also already recorded 2 victories on the competition course in Kranjska Gora, were on the podium. The home crowd was delighted by Žan Kranjec, who finished 5th and 4th and unfortunately failed to step on the coveted podium at his home World Cup event. With his two victories in Kranjska Gora, Marco Odermatt took the Small Crystal Globe for the overall win in the giant slalom and the Large Crystal Globe for the overall win in the World Cup.
The Vitranc Cup races and the accompanying events: the Gruba Memorial (a charity giant slalom race in memory of the tragically deceased Slovenian skier Drago Grubelnik) and the Saturday concerts with the trophy ceremony and the draw for the start numbers attracted a total of around 15,000 spectators to Kranjska Gora, which is a clear indication that spectacular races with a good accompanying programme are a magnet for spectators, even beyond national borders.