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Audi FIS Ski World Cup: Big Season Opening ahead in Soelden
It is ‘go time’ for the 2014/15 Audi FIS Ski World Cup this weekend in Soelden (AUT) as the new season traditionally gets underway with two giant slaloms on the Rettenbach glacier.
In the past weeks, Soelden has been hit by warm temperatures but the hard work put in by the Organising Committee to preserve the course, which has been closed for training, has paid off.
“During the snow control last Friday there was already a sufficient amount of snow on the race slope. The hill was covered with some 50cm of snow on the flat sections and up to 70-80 cm on the steep ones. A 60m wide section was covered with snow, which is as wide as the race hill was in the past year. We were able to confirm the races without any hesitation,” men’s Race Director Markus Waldner reported.
With colder temperatures and snow forecast for the coming days, the opening races could even turn out to have an abundance of snow: “After struggling with a lack of snow over the past weeks, we are about to face a different challenge – possibly too much snow this week. On Tuesday the hill was treated with the injection bar in order to best prepare the base prior to the heavy snowfalls, which have been announced for Wednesday and Thursday. The current forecast still allows enough time to clear the snow off the course and with a promising outlook for the weekend I am confident that we will have good races.” ladies’ Race Director Atle Skaardal added.
Hundreds of journalists are expected to arrive in Soelden in the next days. Prior to the race weekend, there are dozens of press conferences with the athletes to make sure the media is up to speed on any changes during the off-season. History has shown that what happens on the snow in Soelden matters. Those doing well at the Rettenbach glacier often carry that momentum through the season.
In the past weeks, Soelden has been hit by warm temperatures but the hard work put in by the Organising Committee to preserve the course, which has been closed for training, has paid off.
“During the snow control last Friday there was already a sufficient amount of snow on the race slope. The hill was covered with some 50cm of snow on the flat sections and up to 70-80 cm on the steep ones. A 60m wide section was covered with snow, which is as wide as the race hill was in the past year. We were able to confirm the races without any hesitation,” men’s Race Director Markus Waldner reported.
With colder temperatures and snow forecast for the coming days, the opening races could even turn out to have an abundance of snow: “After struggling with a lack of snow over the past weeks, we are about to face a different challenge – possibly too much snow this week. On Tuesday the hill was treated with the injection bar in order to best prepare the base prior to the heavy snowfalls, which have been announced for Wednesday and Thursday. The current forecast still allows enough time to clear the snow off the course and with a promising outlook for the weekend I am confident that we will have good races.” ladies’ Race Director Atle Skaardal added.
Hundreds of journalists are expected to arrive in Soelden in the next days. Prior to the race weekend, there are dozens of press conferences with the athletes to make sure the media is up to speed on any changes during the off-season. History has shown that what happens on the snow in Soelden matters. Those doing well at the Rettenbach glacier often carry that momentum through the season.
Source: fis-ski.com
