Tue 28/01 - Men's Slalom Schladming (night race)

Big event for Schladming night race, although there's no Yuasa (no party!)

Two early surprise are Kristoffersen and Thaler entering the first group, first time for both. Worth to notice they are kind of the youngest and the oldest athlete on course.
Kostelic and Moelgg drop off the top7, things could possibly go even worse as beside the lack of shape they've never performed well on ruined courses.

Hirscher should have learnt the lesson from Kitz, and if he wants to win the Globe he must not fail here; this means he must be less aggressive and take the 80-60 points of the 2nd-3rd place rather than get out.
Neureuther, free from all these issues, can just ski for the final victory and has proved more than once that his level is equal to Hirscher's.
Behind them Kristoffersen and Thaler battle for a step of the podium, Pinturault occasinally joins them; Matt, Myhrer and Hargin don't look on the same level but they can always be dangerous.
Dopfer's shape raised recently could worth backing him (though not at current prices) and also Gross in in good shape.
Moelgg and Kostelic among those might be worth opposing.
My picks:

27/01 Slaloms - Kitzbuehel and Maribor

Sorry, no picks for the Downhill, I just wanted to watch and enjoy it, mind free...

Ladies first:
h2h Gagnon - Zahrobska - pick Gagnon 1 unit @1.80 Won +0.8
Couldn't resist, I really like Gagnon, she's aggressive and deserve top placement, also true that she does too many mistakes.
Zahrobska isn't on high levels, due a surgery in the summer.
Slope is easy and Gagnon shouldn't have many troubles.
Gagnon starting with #9 and Zahrobska 19.

h2h Pietilae-Holmner - Mielzynski - pick Mielzynski 2 units @2.25 Void 0
Mielzynski is having a great season, while Pietilae-Holmner struggles to find her best form.
Also some numbers of difference in the starting list that should advantage Mielzynski: 8 & 15.

Men:
h2h Pinturault - Myhrer - pick Myhrer 2 units @1.90 Won +1.8
Myhrer isn't in a good period, coming from two DNF in a row, he also hasn't got great placements on this slope, 6th as his best not too good for a top like him.
On the other hand Pinturault struggles to put together two runs, because he's aggressive and falls easily in mistake.
This time though he'll ski differently because there's also the Combined Cup for him, changing style is never easy.

h2h Pranger - Grange - pick Grange 2 units @2.00 Lost -2
Pranger in bad shape so far.
Grange in raising form, best time in the second run of Wengen and a minor FIS Slalom won in mid-week.

+0.6

Great shame for Grange who was doing very well, had only +0.02s gap from Gross, leader of the first run; the french is in big shape.

I think that I'm overrating Gagnon, maybe her real level is from 10th to 20th, lucky that Zahrobska has been very poor today.

Men' Slalom - Zagreb 06/01

h2h Hirscher - Myhrer - pick Myhrer 2 units @2.50 Lost -2
To me between this two is 50-50, maybe 60-40 in Hirscher's favour, so this is a good odd.
Both won in here in the past two years and in general this slope suite to the swedish team due to some flat sections.
I also think that now that Hirscher is closer to Svindall in the overall standing he's going to slow down a little and take less risks to complete the race and gain points.

h2h Yuasa - Hargin - pick Hargin 6 units @1.83 Won +4.98
Many reasons for this pick, so a preatty heavy stake.
Hargin will start with a better number: and in men's race the slope will be more ruined than in ladies's one, Yuasa can't be aggressive as he usually is.
Hargin made 3rd place two years ago, and made 7th place in two other occasions, as said before this slope suite to the swedish team.
Yuasa's 3rd place in last SL in Madonna di Campiglio has been a one off, an hat-trick Yuasa makes under some conditions of the slope and in night races, like that one and Schlamding, which are very similar.
Hargin can easily beat Yuasa as the japanese is very faulty and apart from very few races doesn't often break the top 20.

h2h Valencic - Kristoffensen - pick Kristoffensen 1 unit @2.15 Won +1.15
Big difference in the starting bib in Valencic's favour, 17 and 32.
The young norvegian though always start with similar bib. He is doing well also in European Cup while the same can't be said for Valencic who's doing average, with no sign of improvement.

h2h Byggmark - Kostelic - pick Kostelic 1 unit @2.10 Won +1.1
Byggmark will start with the n.1, meaning the slope will e in perfect condition, Kostelic is n.4 so not much behind.
Kostelic is in a bad shape and his knee hurt, though his non-aggressive style could be useful on this kind of snow, that has even got wet by rain.

h2h Neureuther - Pinturault - pick Neureuther 2 units @1.76 Won +1.52
Here starting bib in Neureuther's favour, 6 vs 14.
The german is in great shape with 2nd places in last two Slaloms and the win in the City Event.
Pinturault although winner in Val d'Isere, in some strange conditions, hasn't done anything else that good.

+6.75