Alpine skiing: Another race canceled in Zermatt-Cervinia

As expected, the second downhill run in Zermatt and Cervinia was canceled on Sunday morning because fresh snow and wind made it impossible. The teams expressly wanted an early decision for logistical reasons. Last year, the two descents with a start in Switzerland and a finish in Italy could not be carried out due to a lack of snow.

“Unfortunately, the weather forecast came true. Again no possibility above, very heavy snowfall including wind,” said ÖSV head coach Marko Pfeifer after the cancellation. The organizers and the World Ski Association are now hoping for better conditions in the coming week. Next Saturday and Sunday there are two women’s downhill runs in Zermatt/Cervinia.

Due to the weather, the men were only able to complete training on the new Gran Becca race track on Wednesday during the week. The times on Thursday and Friday fell victim to the onset of winter. The images of a race with the Matterhorn in the background were intended to promote skiing internationally. “It would have been pure spectacle,” said FIS race director Markus Waldner on Saturday. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, there’s nothing you can do. “This is our sport, we have to live with it.”

Pfeifer’s assessment was sobering. “You have to say, we had good training, the rest was due to the weather that we didn’t have the chance. In principle, the races would be very, very positive, but you definitely have to rethink the timing because of the weather situation at this time of year,” said the Carinthian.

Criticism of the starting area

The fact that races are to be held on a glacier at the beginning of November, starting at almost 4,000 meters above sea level, has been criticized for some time. The starting area above the tree line is particularly exposed and susceptible to weather events, which, according to long-time experts in the area, are sometimes more severe during this period.

Former racing runner Marc Berthod, currently an expert for Swiss television SRF, advocates for the races to be moved to March. In March there is enough natural snow in the Matterhorn area and the weather is much more stable than in November, he said. With regard to the design of the start of the season – the date for Sölden is also known to be controversial – those responsible at the FIS want to hold discussions with the associations and organizers involved soon anyway. Zermatt/Cervinia will probably also be discussed.

According to OK boss Franz Julen, the Matterhorn descent is initially designed as a five-year project. Regarding postponing the event, he objected on the one hand that the situation with the neighborhoods was a big problem. Once winter tourism is fully underway, it will be difficult to accommodate the World Cup entourage. On the other hand, the Swiss emphasized that the sponsors were not interested in a race date in the spring.

The immediate future for the speed specialists consists of a longer trip to the USA. Austria’s downhill skiers will be heading towards Copper Mountain in Colorado on Thursday. There we should finally be able to put in the urgently needed training kilometers before there are two downhill runs and a Super-G in Beaver Creek in the first days of December. The technicians are preparing in Hochgurgl in the Ötztal for the World Cup slalom taking place there next Saturday.