Ice bath and giggles: This is how Alex Vinatzer experiences a race day

6 clock: The alarm clock in Alex Vinatzer's room is ringing. It's time to get up! While the writer of these lines is still sleeping his way through the world of dreams, where is the ski pro going? "To the ice bath!" he reveals with a grin, "it takes 3 minutes and helps you wake up."

6.30 clock: Breakfast is served in the 4-star superior hotel “Die Sonne” in Saalbach. Before that, Vinatzer has done some light activation exercises in his room and stretched a little.

7.45 clock: Still a little sleepy, I go to the breakfast room in my accommodation and Vinatzer is already standing high up on the mountain. The inspection of the slope is in progress. After two trips, he goes to the hospitality area. There he relaxes a little and warms up.

10.13 clock: There is a beep at the start, then the gate opens: Vinatzer's 3rd World Cup appearance begins! He struggles down the Zwölferkogel for almost a minute and a half. Things don't go according to plan, Vinatzer only records 1st place in the first giant slalom run.

Here Alex Vinatzer drives into the finish area filled with 20.000 fans. © APA / EXPA/JOHANN GRODER

10.29 clock: Our paths crossed for the first time that day. I asked Vinatzer in the mixed zone about his impressions - certainly not a pleasant moment at that moment. Listen to the interview here:

Then Vinatzer disappears in the snowstorm. I go to the press center, where I start writing these lines.

11.15 clock: Vinatzer is sitting in the Atomic ski room not far from the finish area. He is served an early lunch and he decides on the menu. "120 grams of rice, 120 grams of Giggerle. It's a ritual because I've noticed that I digest it well." Then it's time for the video analysis.

12.35 clock: Vinatzer gets out of the cable car and heads back towards the starting area. 20 minutes before his ride, he begins intensive warm-up exercises. Disappointment gives way to renewed aggression. The motto is: full risk!

13.36 clock: “Go! Go! Go!” echoes from the starting box. Vinatzer races down the wide course once again. He remains in 21st place.

After the race, Alex Vinatzer lets out all his anger. © APA/afp / DIMITAR DILKOFF

13.57 clock: Vinatzer heads towards me in the media area of the finish area. He analyses his run with disappointment (“It was a huge disappointment for me,” he murmurs), describes the rest of his day to me, then turns to his fellow journalists. Question, answer, question, answer – or to put it in Vinatzer’s words: “Business as usual.”

14.40 clock: Race over, work day over? No way! Vinatzer is driven to the team quarters. A full program awaits him there: physios knead his calves, half an hour of muscle relaxation on the home bike, a quick shower and down to the ground floor of the hotel. The trainers ask him to do a race analysis.

Alex Vinatzer with teammate Tobias Kastlunger in front of the team hotel in Saalbach.

19.05 clock: I'm still sitting in the press center, working on the lines of this text, when Vinatzer enjoys the last meal of the day: rice with meat. The 25-year-old notices that I react with surprise to the description of his meal plan and says with a quiet laugh: "I know that sounds monotonous. But sometimes I have a plate of pasta."

20.45 clock: Vinatzer woke up with an ice bath, and to end the day he did something completely different: a short sauna session. After that he did some rehearsed breathing exercises "to calm down," says Vinatzer. Now he finally has some free time: he calls his girlfriend, checks his social media pages and picks up the remote control. "I like watching ski documentaries the most, which are on ORF all the time these days."

22 clock: Right on the minute, it's lights out! "Sleep is extremely important," Vinatzer knows. His words still echo in my ears as I sit down with my after-work beer a little later. I'll soon be going to bed too. The last, intensive World Cup weekend awaits us, with what will hopefully be a crowning slalom Sunday for Alex Vinatzer. It could be another day to tell stories about.

Football

Italy

International leagues

International

Hockey

Tennis

Winter sports

Learn More

Motorsport

Cycling

Watersports

Events

Favorites

Ice bath and giggles: This is how Alex Vinatzer experiences a race day

Comments (0)