'It means everything': Popov wins Madonna Slalom for his first World Cup victory

With the world's best Slalom skiers unable to come to terms with the famous piste in Madonna di Campiglio on Wednesday, all that stood between Albert Popov (BUL/Head) and victory was 45 years of history.

Popov won the night Slalom in the famous Italian resort for his first World Cup triumph, and only the second ever for Bulgaria in Alpine skiing after Petar Popangelov won a Slalom on the same date — 8 January — in 1980 in Lenggries, Germany.

The 27-year-old Popov, who had only made one previous World Cup podium, moved up from eighth after the first run with a scintillating second run to grab the most unlikely of victories ahead of Loic Meillard (SUI/Rossignol, +0.44s) and Samuel Kolega (CRO/Rossignol, +0.46s).

"It's a dream come true, it's a long time coming," Popov said.

"It means everything — the hard work, those years away from the family and the hard trainings. It means a lot and a win or a podium just gives you energy to keep going, to keep moving forward and to stay motivated."

Starting as a rank outsider with bib No.20 nearly two years after his lone previous podium, Popov moved inside the top 10 with a solid first run, but still found himself over a second off the leading pace.

In the second run, however, he turned on the jets in the steep middle section to blow away the field with the quickest time of all, taking a lead that he would not relinquish.

Well beyond a mere personal victory, Popov is hopeful his triumph can ignite interest in the sport in his home country.

"A long time ago," he said of Popangelov's lone win.

"It means a lot and I want to see more children on the skis in Bulgaria, and I think this is going to do a big thing for them and they're going to start to believe that it's possible, and I think it's very important for our country."

While Popov skied the race of his life, the biggest names on the Slalom circuit struggled on a difficult race track, especially in the first run.

Olympic champion and Levi and Gurgl winner Clement Noel (FRA/Dynastar) and Alta Badia victor Timon Haugan (NOR/Van Deer Racing) both stumbled at opposite ends of the first run and couldn't recover, leading to DNFs.

The World Cup Slalom leader entering the race, Henrik Kristoffersen (NOR/Van Deer Racing), made it to the finish line, but errors on the flat bottom section scrubbed off much of his speed and saw him in ninth at the halfway stage, and fifth at the end of the night.

His teammate Atle Lie McGrath (NOR/Head), meanwhile, handled the swinging gates of the first run with ease and took a big lead into the second run, only to straddle halfway down the course with over a second in hand.

Virtually the only top pre-race contender who didn't buckle under the bright lights was the ever-consistent Meillard, who recorded his fourth podium and fifth top five in five Slalom races this season.

"Definitely not the easiest race, it's always a challenge here in Madonna," said Meillard, who overtook Kristoffersen to lead the race for the Slalom Crystal Globe.

"Some mistakes happened, but at the end, another podium.

"At the moment, it's working well. When you have a few good results, you have also confidence and you can push a bit more."

Almost lost in Popov's maiden victory was Kolega's first World Cup podium. The 25-year-old has gone from strength to strength this season, with three top 10s in the first four Slalom races, culminating in what was a career-best finish of fifth last time out in Alta Badia.

"Just wow, I'm really lost for words a little bit right now," said Kolega, who hadn't qualified for the second run in any of his five previous World Cup races on the Canalone Miramonti piste.

"It's not just the podium for me today, I never actually scored World Cup points on this hill before and today it was really such a breakthrough for me.

"I'm full of confidence now and I just want to carry this now for the rest of the season."

As does Popov, so much so that he will be back to work first thing on Thursday morning.

"Next is training tomorrow on that hill — eight o'clock, I'll be here," he said. "The season is in the middle so we don't have a day off. We just keep on going."

But not before taking a moment to celebrate his historic achievement.