Moioli and De Blois win SBX Valmalenco season opener
Jan 23, 2021·Snowboard Cross
As it was finally time to kick-off the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup season in Chiesa in Valmalenco (ITA), the big finals of the day did definitely not disappoint with Moioli’s home soil win and De Blois’s maiden World Cup win.
Michela Moioli takes home soil win
The first women’s big final of the season saw 2019/20 SBX crystal globe winner Michela Moioli, USA’s Faye Gulini, “Ms. Moustache” Eva Samkova (CZE) and France’s Julia Pereira de Sousa Mabileau in the start gate.
It was Samkova who managed the tricky start section the best and got into the lead of the heat with Moioli on her tail, while Gulini was in third and de Sousa Mabileau in fourth. In one of the upcoming banks, Moioli took the inside lane with enough speed to pass the Czech.
The next roller section gave Gulini the opportunity to gain enough speed to enter the next bank, also take the inside line and pass Samkova as well, getting into second position, just behind Moioli, having Samkova sit in third.
While all four athletes seemed to have formed a pack, the ranking did not change until the finish line, therefore Moioli crossed the finish line first, taking the first win of the season on home soil with Gulini on her tail in second and rounding out the podium was Eva Samkova.
Maiden victory for Netherland’s Glenn De Blois
The men’s big final was a little bit of a surprise as Dutch athlete Glenn De Blois managed to secure a spot next to qualifications winner Eliot Grondin (CAN), last year’s second in the overall World Cup standings Lorenzo Sommariva (ITA) and USA’S Hagan Kearney.
Out of the start gate, Grondin made a little mistake in the first section of the course causing him to fall behind. It was Kearney, who got into the lead of the heat at first with De Blois in second and the Italian Sommariva in third.
But Grondin made up for his mistake very fast in the following roller section, passing Sommariva and getting from fourth to third and then in the next bank even passing the American and therefore catching second position.
De Blois and Grondin then were sitting in front with a little margin ahead of the other two athletes fighting for that first position, which De Blois managed to defend perfectly, not letting the Canadian any chance to pass.
In the meantime, Sommariva had managed to pass Kearney and get into third and finally this is how the heat crossed the finish line with De Blois being the second ever Dutch athlete to ever grab a Snowboard Cross World Cup win and for him personally it being his maiden World Cup victory, young gun Eliot Grondin coming in second and Sommariva third.
Obviously, World Cup leaders after today’s race are today’s winners, Michela Moioli on the women’s side and Glenn De Blois on the men’s side.
There is another chance tomorrow, as it will be the second of back-to-back World Cup races in the Italian resort, so that means rest for now and then be ready for tomorrow at 14:00 CET.
WATCH LIVE
Sunday, Jan 24 at 14:00 CET:
TV: Arena 4 (Hungary)
Livestreaming: FIS Snowboard Youtube channel ((please see countries where the livestream is going to be available HERE), Eurosport Player (Europe), CBC Sports Streaming (Canada), L'Equipe Web (France), RAI Web (Italy)
QUICK LINKS
)
)
