Moioli and Visintin shine in Cervinia SBX

Michela Moioli (ITA) and Omar Visintin (ITA) have kept the momentum from their yesterday's strong performance in the time trials to earn a home soil win at the debut of Cervinia as a World Cup host.

Facing strong and changing winds in today's knock out rounds at the foot of the famous Matterhorn both local favourites lived up to the expectations tying on to their best qualifier times.

Especially Moioli, who had travelled back home to Italy with the confidence of a Montafon win, had impressed the circuit posting an incredible time in the race against the clock being almost two seconds faster than runner up Charlotte Bankes (FRA).

And the 22-year-old decided once again to ride on the fast track.

Leaving the start gate in second position behind of Nelly Moenne Loccoz (FRA), Moioli hunted down her french competitor in the women's final constantly shortening the distance.

And when both racers entered the first left turn of the 800 metres long course, which might have looked easy but had some crucial sections to be mastered with care, it was Moioli's time to benefit from being a goofy rider.

Perfectly setting the frontside turn she passed Moenne Loccoz and quickly broke away in dominant fashion to finally bringing home her career's seventh.

“It's an amazing day for me and the whole Italian team”, she said. “I have no words. It was an easy course but difficult to go through the right way.

I felt strong and focused in the big final. When I finally was in the lead I said to myself 'Come on Michi, keep it, keep it.' When I came down in the finish I saw the whole team, my family, my dog. It's just an amazing day.”

While Moenne Loccoz defended her second rank her teammate Julia Pereira de Sousa Mabileau (FRA) earned her career's first podium as third in a photo finish against Charlotte Bankes.

Visintin with master piece

The men's event also provided a photo finish – this time for the win – although things didn't look like it as Pierre Vaultier (FRA) successfully had gone for the hole shot.

And like in his eighth, quarter and semi final before, the 2014 Olympic Champion quickly gained a lead on his pursuers already looking like the winner of this season's fifth of twelve snowboard cross races.

But you never should count your chickens before they are hatched; especially not in boarder cross.

Full of adrenalin and dedication, Omar Visintin, sitting in third after the start, sparked the turbo boost and constantly reduced the gap.

In the last left turn it was finally time for him to place his attack on Vaultier who actually had the advantage of being a goofy rider.

But Visintin, a regular stance, used the draft, chose the outside line and entered the home stretch with top speed.

Working through the technical last rollers, the South Tyrolean ultimately caught Vaultier on the finish line to celebrate his career's third therefore ending a waiting period of almost four years.

“You couldn't have asked for anything better than Italy taking a double win at the first ever Snowboard Cross World Cup in Cervinia. It was a great race,” Visintin stated, Vaultier added:

“It was a great race. I had a very good start in the final, but Omar then came outside of me in the last turn and was faster than me. I couldn't do anything against it anymore. He deserved the win.”

Alex Pullin (AUS) rounded out the podium in third ahead of Alex Deibold (USA) therefore extending his World Cup lead (3,026).

Lindsey Jacobellis (USA), who finished eighth after sitting out the small final due to a crash in the semis, is still first of the women's World Cup ranking with 3,380 points ahead of Trespeuch (3,300) and Moioli (3,230).

The FIS SBX World Cup will now take a Christmas break with the next races slated to take place in Erzurum, Turkey where one individual and one team event are scheduled for January 19 to 21, 2018.

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