LANGE

Massimiliano Blardone did not miss his comeback at Dynastar and Lange this season by ending third of the World cup in Giant Slalom.

After an exceptional winter, punctuate with four podiums in World Cup including two victories in Alta Badia and Crans-Montana, the Italian chose to sign two years more with Dynastar for skis and bindings and Lange for boots.

Massimiliano Blardone: "The decision to stay with Dynastar and Lange was matured during the season. We have created a very strong link with all the team. The professionalism and the mutual respect are fundamentals to realize the best results. The group believes in my sports capacities and develops for me the best equipment. It was a motivation important for me and I am going to be able to continue this collaboration serenely during the next two seasons."

All the teams is very satisfied with the pursuit of this collaboration and wishes Max Blardone all the best for the coming years.

Honors:
24 top 3 finishes, including 7 World Cup wins
2nd in the Giant Slalom World Cup rankings 2006 & 2007
3rd in the Giant Slalom World Cup rankings 2004 & 2012
5th in the Giant Slalom at the World Championships in 2009

Didier Défago extends his contract with Rossignol Group up to the Sochi Olympic Games in 2014. A Rossignol skier for 8 years so far, the Olympic Downhill Champion 2010 will race in Rossignol skis and bindings and Lange boots. 

Didier Défago: "The important thing is that I know Rossignol Group and we get on really well. We have the same goal - to fight to be ahead at the finish line. One positive aspect of this is that we all know how each person works when it comes to developing equipment or trying out new things."

Absent last season due to a knee injury, Didier Défago has made a successful comeback to the circuit. With a win in Bormio last December and top 20 rankings in Downhill, Super G and GS at the Schladming finals, the Swiss skier can take a great deal of self-assurance into the seasons to come.

Angelo Maina, Director of Rossignol's Racing Department: "We are very pleased that Didier has chosen to sign for a further two years with Rossignol Group. After his season out through injury, we have been impressed by his results this winter. To come back at that level, in three different disciplines, is really very encouraging for the seasons to come."

We are delighted by this show of trust from Didier Défago and are committed to supporting him in continuing his top-level success. 

Honors
Olympic Champion, Vancouver 2010
Downhill winner, Bormio 2011
Downhill winner, Wengen and Kitzbühel 2009
Super G winner, Val Gardena 2002
14 World Cup podiums

For his return at Dynastar and Lange, Massimiliano Blardone realized a magnificent season. He ends third of the ranking of giant's World cup. He accounts two victories this winter in Alta Badia and Crans-Montana as well as a second place in Bansko and a third in Adelboden.

For the tenth time this season Tina Maze reached the podium in a World cup event – but this time the Slovenian achieved her first top-3 result in downhill this winter after having excelled in all other four disciplines in recent months. The reigning giant slalom World Champion came in 3^rd in the last downhill race of the winter behind USA’s Lindsey Vonn and France’s Marion Roland.

Even though she has been fighting hard again for her first season victory, Maze was rather pleased with her performance and her result which strongly reinforced her chance to remain in 2^nd place in the final Overall World Cup standings at the end of the season.

“It’s exciting to get back on the podium in downhill, it has been a while for me, I didn’t do so well since finishing 2^nd at Are last year,” said Maze, the first and only Slovenian woman to have ever won a downhill race five years ago at St. Moritz. “I have finished several times just behind the podium in downhill this winter so it was for sure a goal for me here,” also added the soon 29-yead-old who has so far been thirty-eight times among the best-3.

Maze still has three opportunities left this week to achieve her strongest wish and celebrate a 12^th World Cup victory after missing a great opportunity two weeks ago at Ofterschwang, in Germany, where she failed to finish the second slalom run after clocking the fastest time in the morning leg.

“I took two days off earlier this week after the last races in Sweden, and it helped me a lot to find back some energy for these Finals,” Maze also explained. “I still feel fresh and determined and ready to fight hard for my first win. I would be extremely happy to get it tomorrow in the Super-G as I have never claimed victory in that specialty. I was very close to do so in January at Bad Kleinkirchheim where I was 2^nd behind Fabienne Suter. But it’ll be tough – half a dozen racers have the same goal than me.”

We are pleased to introduce you the Lange Athlete 2012: Federica Brignone.

At only 21 years, Federica Brignone already owns a beautiful prize list. In 2009, she becomes Junior World Champion of combined then she ends second in giant slalom next year. Meanwhile, she knows her first success in the World Cup in Aspen (3^rd). 2011 will be a very good year for her when she wins the silver medal in giant slalom in the World Championships of Garmisch-Partenkirchen. This season, the Italian skier rose three times on the second place of the podium in Lienz, Kranjska Gora and Are!

Federica is a Super Athlete but also a Super Girl. She represents perfectly femininity, elegance and Lange Premium identity.

Federica Brignone:“When the first poster of the Lange Girl went out, I was not in the World Cup and I said to myself that if I was a day above, that would be really good! It is an honour for me to appear on this poster, especially after all the athletes who represented the brand before me! I think that it allows seeing the athlete differently, without a helmet or a bodysuit! I like this new image of " Super Girl ", it represents us well. In our sport, we need a lot of bravery and of course, the best equipment. Without Lange, you can make nothing. I could not ski without my blue shoes, and then in more they are the most beautiful!”