Experienced ski stars defend against double races in World Cup classics: “It is harmful to our sport”

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After the flood of cancellations in the first third of this World Cup winter (only two of the nine men’s races were completed), a monster program is emerging for the speed classics in January.

Originally, a downhill, a slalom and a super-G were planned in Wengen. Now the Lauberhorn OK will most likely take over another run that had to be canceled last week at Beaver Creek. Two more departures are planned on January 19 and 20 on the infamous “Streif” in Kitzbühel.

Clear communication from Feuz

Olympic champion Beat Feuz actually has very fond memories of major doubles races – in 2021 the Emmentaler secured the double on the Hahnenkamm. Yet the 36-year-old, who completed the last race of his unique career eleven months ago in Kitzbühel, speaks out against the classics in a double suit: “A victory in a classic must remain something very special. But if there are two downhills on the program every year in Wengen and Kitzbühel, in ten years we will have so many Lauberhorn and Streif winners that these titles will no longer be anything special.”

German Alpine Pope Felix Neureuther agrees with his Swiss friend: “Such double races on classic slopes are harmful to our sport. The World Cup is such a huge event, not least because it only takes place once every four years. A Biathlon World Championship medal, on the other hand, is worth less because there is a Biathlon World Championship every year. And that is why we Alpine people should attach more value to exclusivity.”

“I have no idea at all”

However, there will be no exclusivity at the Alpine Classics in South Tyrol in the coming days. On Thursday, the Val Gardena “Saslong” will feature a shortened descent from Zermatt-Cervinia in addition to the originally planned Super-G (Friday) and the original downhill (Saturday). And at the “Gran Risa” in Alta Badia, two giant slaloms are scheduled on Sunday and Monday.

To the annoyance of the Austrian Hans Knauss (52, vice world champion giant slalom in 2003). “I absolutely do not understand why two giants were placed on this historic, selective slope from the beginning. Alta Badia, together with Adelboden, represents the biggest classic for the giant slalom specialists, and here there can only be one winner per year. Formula 1 only races once a year in Monaco.”

False start to the season

Even though new dates have been found for two canceled downhill races, the bottom line is that this is still the worst false start in the almost 57-year history of the Alpine World Cup: of the nine men’s races, only two have been held. so far this season – the big one in Val-d’Isère with winner Marco Odermatt and the slalom in Gurgl with a triple victory for Austria. On the other hand, there have been no fewer than seven cancellations: After the speed races in Zermatt-Cervinia (2) and in Beaver Creek (3) and the giant slalom in Sölden, the slalom in Val-d’Isère also fell victim to the weather on Sunday.

Source : Blick