British skiers were testing the entente cordiale
21st March 2004British skiers were testing the entente cordiale to its limit in Flaine, France this weekend as Alain Baxter delivered a second blow to the host nation when he secured the French Slalom Championship title on Saturday night, adding to the Super G title won by his friend and fellow British Land Alpine Ski Team member, Finlay Mickel, on Friday.
Then today Jo Greig underlined just how British ski racing has come of age in relation to the
leading alpine nations when she took third place in the French Slalom Championship.
" I don't think they'll be letting us back after the number of podiums we have taken this week!" quipped Greig, whose best result of the season this was and her first major international podium finish. Between Greig, Mickel and Baxter, British racers landed a haul of five podiums from the eight championship disciplines.
On Saturday night under floodlights Baxter made the most of his bib number one start position to set the quickest time by five hundredths of a second ahead, of France's Olympic Silver medallist Sebastien Amiez. The French team's other top World Cup slalom racers Jean-Pierre Vidal and Pierrick Bourgeat both skied out in the first run, Baxter going on to win by 57
hundredths of a second.
" It was actually really good. The French made a big deal of how many podiums we Scots have taken at their championships and had bagpipes out. It's been a great prelude to the rugby which of course they take so seriously." Said Baxter, " I have been skiing really well in training these past few days so I am pretty happy with a win here."
" I think if you look at how far our programmes have come in the last few years then it is night and day and when the big nation's like French are really taking note of where we are now as a skiing nation then is really great." Said Mickel.
Greig, (22, Surrey) was delighted with her two runs today. She missed the first part of her season due to a hand injury and a debilitating viral infection and did not start training fully again until January.
" It is really starting to click together now. It's a nice hill here, just a good mid gradient and the courses had a good rhythm. I had a stable, clean first run and really attacked on the second run." Jo explained.
There was only a short break for Mickel, whose record at the French champs finished with two second places in Downhill and the Super G win - before he was in action again today as The British Land National Ski Championships started just a couple of hours from Flaine, in Meribel.
The rangy Edinburgh skier wasted no time in laying down the gauntlet for his team-mates as he convincingly set the fastest time on the first day of downhill training. While his top compatriots were still in Flaine racing giant slalom, Mickel was well over three seconds clear of Angus Morison, 23.
" We have got some good young guys coming up. Roger Cruickhsank in particular has the enjoyment and hunger for speed that you really need, but I am hoping that I can do the same as last year and stay a couple of seconds ahead of them. It's a good course with lots of terrain changes and nothing dangerous."
Mickel could be favourite for the overall title, but with defending champion Noel Baxter set to do all four disciplines, then it will be a fascinating battle this week. Chemmy Alcott will not defend her Victrix Ludorum title as she is recovering from a knee ligament injury in the USA.
British Land National Ski Championships, Meribel, France: Downhill Training:
Men:
1 F Mickel (Edinburgh/The British Alpine Ski Team) 1:12.55,
2 A Morison (Perth) 1:15.89,
3 R Baggett (Gerard's Cross) 1:16.31,
4 T Glasse-Davies (Gartmore/The British Home Nations Development Team) 1:18.38,
5 J Bennett (Bexley, Kent/The British Home Nations Development Team) 1:18.56,
6 D Crawford (Glasgow/The British Home Nations Development Team)1:18.57
French National Championships, Men's Slalom, 20/3/04, Flaine
1 220044 BAXTER Alain GBR 48.08 49.99 1:38.07 8.00
2 190012 AMIEZ Sebastien FRA 48.15 50.49 1:38.64 11.31
3 190278 LLORACH Gaetan FRA 48.71 50.40 1:39.11 14.04
4 191425 TISSOT Stephane FRA 49.82 49.44 1:39.26 14.92
5 192665 GRANGE Jean-Baptiste FRA 48.59 51.03 1:39.62 17.01
6 510321 WEYERMANN Michael SUI 49.88 50.06 1:39.94 18.87
French National Championships, Women's Slalom, 20/3/04, Flaine
1 195249 PEQUEGNOT Laure FRA 42.01 43.69 1:25.70 9.03
2 195215 VIDAL Vanessa FRA 43.16 43.46 1:26.62 15.15
3 225208 GREIG Joanna GBR 43.18 44.10 1:27.28 19.54
4 195912 DE LEYMARIE Florine FRA 43.25 44.51 1:27.76 22.73
5 195944 STRUB Raphaelle FRA 44.02 43.85 1:27.87 23.46
6 195927 LAZIER Laurence FRA 43.65 44.35 1:28.00 24.33