Baff and Noerl for the first win of the SBX WC season in Les Deux Alpes
Dec 04, 2022·Snowboard Cross
What a race. After two amazing days of training in the sun in front of an incredible scenery over the French Alps, the originally planned race for 3rd of December had to be rescheduled to Sunday, December 4th because of heavy wind and snowfall. Also, the weather wasn’t too good that day, but mother nature was on our side, and we were able to finish the first FIS Snowboard Cross competition of the season and the first ever held SBX WC here in Les Deux Alpes.
Maiden win for 19-year-old Baff
For the final heat of the day, we had Lea Casta (FRA), Josie Baff (Aus), Chloe Trespeuch (FRA) and Aline Albrecht (SUI) ready in the start gate to send it on the first big final of the season.
It has been Josie Baff and Lea Casta, the two young guns, battling for the pole position after pulling out of the start gate. The 16-year-old Casta managed to go in the lead beginning of the first turn, followed by Baff, the experienced Trespeuch and the Swiss Albrecht.
Right after intermediate two, Casta made a mistake on the jump which cost her so much speed that she got overtaken by all three riders. And it was the Australian Baff who was in the lead followed by Albrecht and Trespeuch in third. Albrecht crashed on the next big jump and so it has only been the two French riders battling for the home soil win against the 19-year-old Baff who was only two turns and one jump away from her first World Cup win of her career.
And it was Baff who was leading into the last turn and bringing it into the finish in front of Trespeuch and Casta, which managed to get third in her first ever world cup start. What an amazing performance of the young French rider.
It was only the 8th World Cup race of the young Australian which she won today. Her teammates where already waiting in the finish to receive her, and she even was almost speechless and overwhelmed with emotions when she came into the finish in first position.
Noerl confirmed his good performance from last year
In the big final it was Martin Noerl (GER), Eliot Grondin (CAN), Omar Visitin (ITA) and Lucas Eguibar (ESP) getting out of the start gate to battle for the first World Cup win of the season.
Grondin got into the lead fast followed by Noerl, Eguibar and Visitin. After the start section, and a mistake by Grondin, Noerl and Eguibar, which were battling for the lead until intermediate 2, took over.
Out of a sudden, Visitin passed Eguibar, who now had to do everything to not get passed by the Canadian Grondin, which he didn’t manage and got fourth in the end. Now it has been Visitin and Grondin who tried to catch Noerl in the lower section.
But in the end, Noerl crossed the finish line first, as he already did three times last season, Visitin got second and Grondin third.
Also, Martin Noerl had “a difficult day” and it was “heavy to breath” up here at 3.400m Noerl had two “pretty good last runs” and so took the lead in the World Cup standing list.
World Cup leaders after today’s race are Josie Baff and Martin Noerl.
We want to say a big thank you to the tireless and passionate organizing committee of Les Deux Alpes for fighting so hard through those tough weather conditions which for sure was a huge task as it also has been the first World Cup race up here on the glacier. But they did an amazing job and “we are really looking forward to more world cup races here in Les Deux Alpes in the future”, Uwe Beier the FIS Cross race director said.
Due to the lack of snow in Montafon (AUT), the World Cup circuit now has an additional week of training before the next race is held in Cervinia, Italy from December 15-16.
Au revoir and see you in Italy!
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