Despite the spring weather: Confidence for races in Adelboden and Kitzbühel

For the men’s Alpine Ski World Cup races in Kitzbuehel there were positive snow checks on Friday. In the Gamsstadt there will be a downhill run on the Streif on January 20th and 21st and a slalom on the Ganslern on January 22nd.

The traditional Swiss Ski World Cup locations are also groaning under the mild temperatures this winter. In Adelboden the technical races of the men should be secured this weekend thanks to sufficient artificial snow. The sporting favorite on the Chuenisbärgli is local hero Marco Odermatt, who wants to repeat last year’s victory. Henrik Kristoffersen tasted blood after his first victory and would like to triumph in the giant slalom with Van Deer equipment.

Last year, Odermatt won the giant slalom classic in front of enthusiastically celebrating fans by almost half a second over Manuel Feller. The 25-year-old Swiss has been on the podium in every World Cup race in this discipline since October 2021 and is therefore also the top favorite on Saturday. After his successes such as Olympic gold and the overall World Cup victory, he could take it a little more relaxed, but he was aware of the great expectations, said Odermatt on Thursday. “A podium is practically mandatory,” he emphasized.

In addition to Feller and Zan Kranjec from Slovenia, the toughest competitors are two Norwegians: Kristoffersen and Lucas Braathen. After Kristoffersen’s slalom success on Wednesday in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Ferdinand Hirscher, the gray eminence at Van Deer-Red Bull Sports, revealed that his son and company founder Marcel had recently intensively tested giant slalom skis for Kristoffersen on the Reiteralm. “That’s the only way to make progress,” explained Hirscher senior.

“It’s working quite well at the moment,” stated Kristoffersen. “When the material works, life is usually a little bit easier. Then I don’t get mad or angry as often.” “I never dreamed that Kristoffersen would one day be his protégé,” said Ferdinand Hirscher. “We used to be really tough competitors.” The relationship is surprisingly good: “It’s fun to work with him.”

ÖSV head coach not satisfied

Johannes Strolz surprisingly won the slalom on the Chuenisbärgli in 2022, after he had been kicked out of the ÖSV squads the previous summer. However, the victory was only the harbinger of even greater successes in China, where the Vorarlberger won Olympic gold in the alpine combination and in the team competition as well as silver in the slalom.

Like a year ago, Austria’s technicians – with the exception of Feller, who has already won three second places – are still somewhat in debt this year. At least that’s how men’s racing director Marko Pfeifer sees it, who was not at all happy after the Alta Badia giant slalom and only partially happy after the Garmisch slalom. “We want to win. I’m not entirely satisfied because the others didn’t reward themselves like Schwarz, Pertl and Gstrein,” said Pfeifer in Upper Bavaria. “But there are still races to come and I am convinced that we can do better.” Feller said he was “extremely satisfied. I’m going to Adelboden with confidence”.

In terms of slalom, Adelboden is a good place for ÖSV, as no Austrian has won just once since 2018 (Daniel Yule in January 2020). Marcel Hirscher (2018 and 2019) was followed by Marco Schwarz (2021) and Strolz the previous year.

Rain and again and again clear plus degrees have recently caused headaches for the organizers in the Bernese Oberland. In Adelboden, two slopes are the only white stripes in an otherwise green landscape. The races on the Chuenisbärgli could only take place despite all the weather adversities because enough artificial snow could be produced on cold December nights. The two cold nights on Friday and Saturday certainly help.

“The Adelbodners have it under control,” said the long-standing Swiss men’s head coach Thomas Stauffer optimistically. In any case, the Swiss fans are counting on it, because the organizers announced that it was sold out on Wednesday. Start times for both races are 10.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. (live ORF 1).

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