Bansko (Bulgaria) (AFP)

Two Blues on the podium.

Transfigured by his world title, Mathieu Faivre won the second victory of his career in the World Cup over the giant from Bansko (Bulagrie) on Sunday, where Alexis Pinturault was solid (3rd).

Main rival of the French for the general classification and the classification of the specialty, the Swiss Marco Odermatt took second place 75/100 behind Faivre and 6/100 ahead of Pinturault.

Two podiums in 28 races between December 2018 and January 2021, then four in four races for two weeks.

What magic wand could have transformed Mathieu Faivre?

Sacred double world champion in Cortina d'Ampezzo (Italy) last week (parallel and giant), the 29-year-old Niçois, more and more impressive, signed a second place on Saturday then a victory on Sunday in Bansko (Bulgaria).

This is only his 2nd World Cup success after Val-d'Isère in December 2016.

World No. 2 in the discipline four years ago, Faivre regained in a few weeks in January and February in training, and with the help of adjustments on his equipment, his best level after a very average start to the season ( only one top 10).

Best time of the first race, like the day before, it never trembled on the second track on snow made difficult by the high temperatures (around 10 degrees).

- Favrot 4th -

After losing his stick the day before (4th), Alexis Pinturault did not make a big mistake on Sunday, remaining solid but less flamboyant than his compatriot.

He completed a 7th podium this winter but missed 6 hundredths to get ahead of Marco Odermatt and make his Sunday almost perfect.

Instead, it was the Swiss, 5th on Saturday, who took back 20 points both in the general classification and in the classification of the specialty where he hunts Pinturault.

At nine races from the end of the season, Pinturault leads the general 210 points ahead of Odermatt (the victory is worth 100 points).

There are three runs left for Odermatt, two slaloms for Pinturault, and two super-Gs and giants where the two skiers face each other directly.

Next weekend, Odermatt will have to shine in Saalbach (Austria, two downhills and a super-G) to stay in the race.

For the little giant's globe, the Frenchman leads by 25 points, notably thanks to the three victories won this season.

The Blues also recalled the heyday of their giant team by placing three skiers in the top four thanks to the 4th place of Thibaut Favrot.

Already the author of his best result on Saturday (7th), Favrot has improved even further and is gradually placing himself at the top of the world hierarchy at 26 years old.

Winner the day before, the Croatian Filip Zubcic made a big fatal error in the first round, ending up only 14th to perform a very bad operation in the classification of the discipline (now 3rd at 64 points).

© 2021 AFP