Spectacular World Cup premiere: this is what you need to know about the Matterhorn descent

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The organizers want to offer a spectacle at the early speed start and stimulate interest in winter sports. Especially in stores that sell winter equipment. Since two-thirds of the skiing takes place on the glacier, such an early start is possible.

The famous mountain forms the backdrop for the race. In the starting area and in the first part of the route, the “Horu” seems to be close enough to touch. However, the vision is unusual for many Swiss eyes. Because in the photo it is not the north side that is visible from Zermatt, but the south side.

In the dialect of the Aosta Valley it is called “Great Mountain”, which is also what the Matterhorn is called across the border.

No, due to its location on the glacier, important riding areas are missing. But track builder Didier Défago (46) designed four jumps. The most spectacular and at the same time most demanding section is the Matterhorn jump and the subsequent compression. And endurance is necessary: ​​at 3.7 km, the course after the Lauberhorn is the longest in the World Cup.

The slope is too high on the mountain for a massive gathering. From Zermatt it is more than an hour’s journey using various lifts. At least a few thousand fans are expected in the last stadium in Cervinia.

A total of 200,000 francs will be paid out, of which the winner will receive 60,000 francs plus a voucher for climbing the Matterhorn. An additional bonus of €50,000 applies to a possible double winner (Saturday and Sunday). These totals also apply to the women’s weekend next week.

It was planned. Then already at the end of October. But there was far too little snow. Therefore, the 2023 date was postponed by two weeks to November.

Because a World Cup race has never taken place in two countries. The start is on Swiss soil, then the piste runs across the national border and ends at the bottom of the Italian ski area Cervinia. At least that applies to men. Because the women will use a different start next weekend, they will only race in Italy. Another record: there has never been a race at a higher altitude. Even though the start has been lowered from original plans, the men’s start is at 3,720 meters above sea level. Come on.

In addition to the fundamental issue of sustainability in glacier racing, there was widespread outrage when images emerged of excavators working on the glacier. However, this work was only for safety reasons to fill the gorges with snow. It also turned out that the World Cup installations were not zone compliant down to the last detail. But the problems were resolved in time. From a sporting perspective, the criticism is about the unpredictable weather at this altitude; the wind could become a factor.

Oh yeah. The very first event attracted great interest from the international media. 230 journalists from 14 countries are accredited. Among them is a reporter from Brazil.

As usual from previous winters, SRF2, ORF1 and Eurosport will show the Ski World Cup live. The races start on Saturday and Sunday at 11:30 am.

Source : Blick