Nothing stops Cyprien Sarrazin. The one who had never won in downhill until three weeks ago has just won the most beautiful of all in Kitsbühel. On the legendary Austrian Streif, the French skier was the fastest on Friday January 19, beating the Italian Florian Schieder (by 5 hundredths) and the World Cup leader, the Swiss Marc Odermatt (by 34 hundredths). ).

After Jean-Claude Killy, winner in 1967, and Luc Alphand (in 1995 and 1997), he is the third Habs to win the prestigious Austrian track. Late for a large part of the race, Sarazzin was the fastest on the last section. “It wasn’t a perfect race but I finished with all my heart,” he reacted. I knew I had to finish quickly. I don’t want to tell you my secret. I’m keeping it for myself, there’s another race tomorrow. »

Converted to speed disciplines since 2022, Cyprien Sarazzin, 29, won a second downhill victory after his first win in Bormio in December. The skier from Dévoluy (Hautes-Alpes) remained in two consecutive second places, in Wengen, each time behind Odermatt.

“It clicked in my head.”

Before the start of winter, Cyprien Sarrazin, a former giant slalom specialist, had only two World Cup podiums. He now has seven, including five successful podiums in the last five races he has completed.

Last year, for his first descent in Kitzbühel, he took an encouraging tenth place. By beating Odermatt on Thursday, the French skier is more than ever in the race for the downhill globe: he is now 26 points behind the Swiss leader (a victory is worth 100 points) in the rankings. “Before this season, I never told myself that I would play the globe in downhill,” he declared on Wednesday before the race. But it’s true that Marco spoke to me about it last time and he told me that it was going to be a great battle so yes, why not, I no longer stop myself from dreaming. »

In the general classification of the World Cup (all disciplines combined), Sarrazin is still runner-up to Marc Odermatt, who has a lot of points ahead, almost double. A talented skier, the Frenchman has freed himself this season, in particular thanks to mental work carried out with a psychologist and a mental trainer. The latter sparked something for him by simply telling him a few days before his success in Bormio “that he had the right to be in (his) place and to win”.

“I never allowed myself to win, I always had imposter syndrome and then she told me that and three days later, boom, it clicked in my head,” says Cyprien Sarrazin. The years of struggle are behind us, it is a brand new skier who is dominating the competition in the company of Marc Odermatt. “I proved to myself and I proved to everyone that I could be in that place, it’s just fun,” he explained before this new victory. From now on, no one doubts Cyprien Sarazzin anymore. Not even him.