Frenchman Pinturault wins combined race

WENGEN, Switzerland (AFP) –

France’s Alexis Pinturault (C) competes during the men’s World Cup Super Combined alpine skiing race, on January 18, 2013, in Wengen.

Frenchman Alexis Pinturault won the World Cup combined race here on Friday after a blistering slalom run propelled the 21-year-old to his second victory of the season.

The talented youngster was only 22nd after the morning downhill leg but blitzed down the Wengen piste to finish comfortably ahead of Croatia’s Ivica Kostelic who was 1.15secs back with Swiss racer Carlo Janka who won here in 2009, 1.49secs adrift for his first podium of the season.

Pinturault who won the slalom at Val d’Isere last December can emulate compatriot Jean-Baptiste Grange if he wins the slalom on Sunday by achieving a rare double that the 2011 slalom world champion achieved at Wengen in 2009.

“I wanted to limit the damage in the downhill and turn in a great run in the slalom,” explained Pinturault. “I always try to put in plenty of intensity.”

“I love it here. The piste is magnificent and the Swiss crowds are always very pleasant,” he added after his third career win.

Former World Cup overall champion Benjamin Raich of Austria finished fourth at 1.51secs while Italian Cristof Innerhofer, who led after the downhill leg, settled for fifth spot 1.72secs back.

Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal, who came into the weekend second behind Austrian Marcel Hirscher in the overall standings, finished tied for 14th.