The Alpine Skiing World Cup experienced a double false start on Saturday with the cancellation of the giant women’s race in Sölden, a few hours before the race, then the two men’s descents scheduled at the foot of the Matterhorn at the end of October due to lack of snow.
In Sölden, in a Tyrol with autumn colors, heavy rain fell overnight, turning to snow from an altitude of 2,500 m on part of the Rettenbach glacier, making the track too dangerous.
The two descents not rescheduled
The International Ski Federation (FIS) suffered a second shock a few hours later with the cancellation of the first races in Zermatt / Cervinia (Switzerland / Italy). There, at the foot of the Matterhorn, it was the lack of snow that forced the organizers to throw in the towel four days before the first official training session.
The FIS clarified in its press release that the two men’s downhills would not be rescheduled later in the season, unlike the giant women’s which should be reallocated in a few days.
Are the women’s descents in early November threatened?
Zermatt and Cervinia still hope to host two women’s runs on November 5 and 6, if the cold returns to the region and allows snow cannons to complete the slope coverage. A further inspection is scheduled for Tuesday.
The FIS had announced with great fanfare at the beginning of the year this spectacular race project, with a start at 3,700 m altitude and a track straddling two countries at the foot of the iconic Matterhorn, where a pharaonic project to modernize the ski area is underway.
A new stage criticized for its logistical complexity and its lack of environmental logic – a “nonsense” for the French Olympic vice-champion Johan Clarey – after another very hot summer which worsened the state of European glaciers.
” Dangerous “
In Sölden, the track and its famous wall were quite ready, the retreat of the glacier being compensated by the local know-how in terms of snowfarming (conservation of snow from the previous winter during the summer).
“It rained for four hours very hard on the track last night, then it turned to snow with an accumulation of 10/15 centimeters on the top of the track. It rots the bottom, it was too dangerous to race, ”analyzed the director of the French women’s team Lionel Pellicier.
Free skiing, official training, had already been canceled on Friday due to a strong wind which prevented the ski lifts from operating. The last cancellation in Sölden, which has opened the alpine ski season for more than twenty years at the end of October, dates back to 2018, when the men’s race could not start due to the wind.
Frustrated Tessa Worley
“I’m a little frustrated, there is a feeling of unfinished business, I was ready to start the season,” explained Frenchwoman Tessa Worley, defending champion of the giant’s small globe.
The weekend is not over in Sölden: after the FIS Council on Saturday afternoon, which must decide in particular the fate of the Russian and Belarusian athletes, the men must start their season on Sunday with a giant (first round at 10 hours, second round at 1 p.m., respectively 8 a.m. and 11 a.m.).
“We are optimistic for tomorrow’s race even if we will have to pull off some feats to prepare the track. We are hoping for an improvement in the weather in the afternoon to start our work”, explained race director Rainer Gstrein.