SATURDAY: VERTICAL RACE
The athlete from Cerdanya completed the 950 meters of altitude change of the vertical race, between Marrades and Port Negre, in just 35 minutes. Kilian said “The World Cup races are tough and the level is high. The competitors are very strong and in a vertical race you have to go flat out right from the start.”
The Vall Nord ski resort in Andorra hosted the start of the Ski Mountaineering World Cup. As this is the first test, there are many things that the participants don’t know about each other, and especially between those who have a chance of winning. As Kilian says “You could cut the atmosphere with a knife!”
As Kilian didn’t know how his rivals would behave, he was sure of what he had to do. “I didn’t want any surprises and so I attacked right from the very start. I didn’t want to take any risks and I wanted to establish a clear lead quickly.” Behind the leader there was a front running group of 25 competitors. This group broke up towards the end of the race and from then on Kilian forced the pace even more until he crossed the finishing line. After that he commented “I’m pleased with the result, though this is only the start of the World Cup. The real season has just started and there’s a long way to go.”
Kilian has commented that although he is ‘the man to beat’ he didn’t notice any particular pressure as “We all know each other here. 15 of us can win and you only feel the pressure that you allow yourself to feel.” This does not in any way take away from the fact that these World Cup races, like the one this morning, are always complicated. “In these races everybody is very strong, and in a vertical race like the one today you have to go flat out right from the start. The 35 minutes were incredibly intensive, you have to give 200% and, in my case, I was quite tired at the finish.”
When asked regarding his objectives for the season, Killian said that “My objective is to try and repeat my victory in the World Cup. I know it will be very difficult but I’ll do my best to be as high up in the leading board as I can,” while trying “to enjoy the races and, if the result is good, so much the better.” Typical Kilian.
SUNDAY: INDIVIDUAL RACE
The Catalan athlete also won the Individual Race in a time of 1:27:02h ahead of the Italians Matteo Eydallin (1:27:27h) and Lorenzo Holzeknecht (1:27:48h). “It was a very tough race. I’m really delighted to win and this has given me the strength I need for the next World Cup challenges. As Pep Guardiola always says, you can’t build up credit in sport. You have to keep on winning race after race,“ Jornet commented after the race.
The individual race started at 10am from the area of the Coma (2,220m) in Vall Nord, Arinsal.
As Kilian stated “At the start I realized that there was very little difference between us and that it would be a hard race in which I’d have to battle right to the finishing line. It was a quick start and 20 of us got to the top of the first slope in a group. That showed that it would be a hard race. On the second upward slope, four of us managed to get away from the pack, myself and three Italians.”
The Catalan athlete had some problems with the crampons and said “I fell back a few meters behind the Italians but I tried not to lose my rhythm.” It was in the final ascents that Kilian managed to get well ahead. “When I was going up the fourth slope, which I knew was long, I knew I had to give everything I could to get away from the others as Matteo is a great skier and goes really well in the descents. I gave everything in the final ascents and managed to maintain my lead right to the end.”
ASSESSMENT OF THE WEEKEND
After the two victories in the first leg of the World Cup, Jornet states that “I’m delighted with these two victories, as at the start of the season you’re always keen to find out what shape your rivals are in. The truth is that winning the first two races has given me a boost of confidence towards the next races. However, I need to keep my feet firmly on the ground as it’s a long season and it will be a battle to win every race right till the end of April.”
The athlete from Cerdanya says “As the Barça coach maintains, you can’t build up credit in sport. You have to win race after race."
NEXT OBJETIVE: EUROPEANS IN PELVOUX
After this brilliant weekend, Kilian has travelled to Chamonix to start training to prepare for the European Ski Mountaineering Championships, which start on February 4th in Pelvoux, France.
CLASSIFICATION INDIVIDUAL RACE
1. Kilian Jornet 1:27:02 h.
2. Matteo Eydallin 1:27:27 h.
3. Lorenzo Holzeknecht 1:27:38 h.
RACE LINK:
www.fontblanca.ad
MOVESCOUNT LINK:
www.movescount.com/members/kilianjornet
Images by Betmo