Courchevel (France) (AFP) - French outsider Alexis Pinturault is hoping to overcome a fever and cold in his bid for a sixth individual world medal on home snow at the championships that kick off on Monday.
Pinturault, whose family own a hotel in the French resort of Courchevel -- co-hosting the worlds with Meribel in the neighbouring valley -- is due to race in the opening men's race, the alpine combined, on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old, who also intends to compete in the super-G, individual parallel, giant slalom and slalom, ducked out of media duties Sunday, but "hopes to do some free skiing" on Monday, the French ski federation said.
"It could be better," Pinturault later added in a video message.
"Yesterday I didn't feel very well, it's a little cold, a slight fever, today the same, I hope it's over."
World combined champion in Are in 2019, the French racer was among the outsiders for Tuesday's medal event, having managed only one World Cup podium this season: a third place in the Beaver Creek super-G.
"I want to give my best, to flourish, as I am in a tricky season," said Pinturault, who also won combined silver and super-G bronze at the 2021 worlds, and giant slalom bronzes in 2015 and 2019.
"I know that at the world championships anything is possible, the doors are sometimes open to outsiders.
"I'm not a glutton, I would be happy if I could just get a medal," said the three-time Olympic medallist, who was also part of France's gold medal-winning squad in the team event in the 2017 worlds in St Moritz.
Pinturault's teammate Cyprien Sarrazin, also initially set to race the combined, put his back out in slalom training on Sunday and will undergo medical tests, the federation added.
