Cortina d'Ampezzo (Italy) (AFP)

The World Championships program is accelerating on Monday with the combined men and women, ie four scheduled "runs" (two in super-G, two in slalom), the result of postponements decided at the start of the Championships.

Already medalist in super-G, Alexis Pinturault is favorite among men.

- The number: 0 -

As the number of alpine combined disputed this season in the World Cup, whether for women or for men.

The Covid-19 pandemic has led the International Ski Federation (FIS) to change its calendar in 2020/21, with less distant trips and less mixing between the different specialties.

The FIS therefore sacrificed without regret the handset, whose announcement of the disappearance in favor of events considered more telegenic like the parallels returns each year.

The combined remains on the program of the provisional calendar for next season (three for women, two for men).

- The owner and the favorite: Alexis Pinturault -

Super-G bronze medalist on Thursday, the 29-year-old Frenchman arrives launched and crowned with exceptional statistics: in 27 high-level combined (World Cup, World Cup and Olympic Games) spread over ten years of his career, he has 15 podiums, including 10 victories, for an impressive success rate of 37%.

Since the start of 2019, the leader of the World Cup has won four of the six combined disputed, including that of the Worlds in Are (Sweden) two years ago.

"My last combined is old ... But it's the same for everyone," said the reigning Olympic vice-champion.

"It's a little different this year, I haven't done so much speed. We usually tend to go downhill to prepare for the combined, I did very little this year," he said. warned.

His main opponent should be Switzerland's Loïc Meillard, making big progress this season in super-G and solid in slalom.

- The favorite: Petra Vlhova -

The Slovak has taken on another dimension since her silver medal two years ago in the discipline.

At the head of the general classification this winter, she has become the best slalom rider in the world for several months, while being able to shine in super-G (2nd in Garmisch on February 1).

A perfect cocktail for the handset.

But Vlhova will not be alone: ​​a peculiarity of the women's circuit, almost all of the best are versatile and capable of performing both in super-G and in slalom.

Olympic champion Michelle Gisin, formidable this season (3rd overall), is obviously in the running, as is the American Mikaela Shiffrin or the Italians Federica Brignone and Marta Bassino at home, but also the double Swiss title holder Wendy Holdener, a little behind this season.

Monday February 15 program:

Combined men: super-G at 11:15 am (10:15 am GMT), slalom at 3:20 pm (2:20 pm GMT)

Combined women: super-G at 09:45 (08:45 GMT), slalom at 14:10 (13:10 GMT)

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