St. Moritz and Val d'Isere - the results

This weeked has been a disaster, and feelings are even more mixed because picks weren't actually so wrong and everything could have turned the other way in a blink.

Conceptually-lost bets were the two on Fenninger, and Pranger to podium.
All the others were good.
Deville was (and I think will be in the future) shite finishing 26th, I don't know what happened to Pranger as I haven't seen run1 (ladies' one too) but he should be better than that.
Anyway Val d'Isere is madness: lots of racers ousted, Hirscher made a mistake too and couldn't qualify...
Can't find a common thread for this slalom, sure thing is that you can't "attack" on this hill, but just be calm and clean, experience I think helped as the runner-up Hargin ,28 yo, is the youngest in the top10, and he stepped on podium with Matt and Thaler, 34 and 35 respectively.

Biggest disappointment was Gagnon. 5th after the first leg, in the second was doing equally good, but when 5-6 gates away from the finish line, she fell down wasting a good chance to step on podium. Anyway she's getting closer to it, at this kind of odds might worth keep backing her.
Also Brignone crashed, in the first leg though. Anyway she was about half a second in front of Riesch. Riesch was eventually 11th, and it sorts of confirms that GS is her worst discipline, with possibilities of opposing her as bookies could overrate her at it.
Tessa Worley wins big scoring the best times in both runs.
Lindell-Vikarby is on her level and increases her lead in GS-standing.
Maze found back a good way to ski, her movements didn't look slow as in previous races.

Sun 15/12 - St.Moritz GS Ladies, Val d'Isere SL Men

 Picks decided in today's races:

I was totally wrong abut Goergl, underrating her. She's doing great in Super-G while Suter is performing below her standards at the moment.
Weirather confirms her good shape.
Riesch goes behind Gut by just .01s... aaargh, it was a juicy price.

Right impressions about both courses: St.Moritz is average for SG, speed little prevail on tech. Val d'Isere is strange, unconventional GS, lots of DNFs etc... that Ligety has won here only once says it all.

On to next races:

Lindell-Vikarby - Fenninger was taken earlier this week, thinking the price was wrong, odds have changed now proving my thought right. Also fancying Fenninger to win, with Wairather's win in super-g, now Anna is the one without wins of the three that are dominating this season. Technically she's improved a lot and she's got the skills to do better than others in the flat sections of this slope.

I haven't liked Worley this season till today, 9th in SG. She seems to have a great feeling with St. Moritz, she's got a 1st and a 3rd place in GS here, she's got a far better starting bib than Pietilae-Holmner, 6 to 18 so I see value in that price.
Brignone is improving, she's recovering the time off for injury and little by little could go back to the top position of GS, Hoefl-Riesch has a weak point in GS perhaps her worst discipline.
Long shot picking Gagnon for the podium, the canadian girl is in great shape and scoring good placements everywhere. Got a 1st place in a Nor-Am GS with other WC-level skiers (Zettel, Brem to name few).

Few picks in men's slalom, also given the easiness they're falling on this slope.
Pranger is one of the few to have a rilevant history on the "Bellevarde": Gold medal at the World Championships in 2009, while last year was 2nd after run1 but made a little mistake and finished 6th.
Deville is on his falling phase of his career and hardly reaches the top20.

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.