Are our ÖSV men showing at the home race in Kitzbühel? The first run on the Ganslernhang is underway, we report live (see below).
Here is the LIVETICKER: Training took place before the first of two slalom highlights in the World Cup in front of a home crowd in Pass Thurn, followed by the night race in Schladming on Tuesday. The giant slalom specialists are preparing on the Reiteralm for the scheduled race on the Planai on Wednesday. The slaloms in Kitzbühel and Schladming are highlights and very different, but each one is “unique”, said ÖSV men’s racing director Marko Pfeifer. “Kitzbühel wants to win once. And we know someone who really wants that. He has to stay relaxed, Felli.” Manuel Feller has been classified three times in seven races on the Ganslern (8th/2014, 5th/2018, 13th/2020), last year he was absent due to Corona, on Sunday it is possible next chance (1st floor: 10.30/2nd floor: 1.30 p.m.).More night races in the future?In Schladming, a “cauldron” awaits the racers on Tuesday,” said Pfeifer. “That’s what makes the spectacle with the atmosphere. They are both great events and races that skiing needs and where everyone likes to go. It’s super cool that we also have a night giant slalom premiere. I think it’s going to be a huge spectacle, the slope also gives a lot.” He sees this as an opportunity for the future, the FIS should think about more night races. “That would be great for marketing and TV.” In contrast to the slalom, the giant slalom racers are traveling at a much higher speed, and Pfeifer sees no safety risk in the floodlights. “Schladming is so well lit. During the day we race with much poorer ground visibility or fog.” Neither in Kitzbühel nor in Schladming was there any training on the race tracks in advance, the reasons are varied with a dense racing program, snow situation, warm temperatures and tourism. And high-quality training is only possible on suitably groomed slopes. “In Schladming it’s not necessary that we train there, the slope is so even, it’s steep. And we’ve been to the Ganslern so often in recent years, I think it was better not to do that this year,” said Pfeifer. What shouldn’t happen is the British coach setting the course again, like in the first round on Sunday in Wengen . You could already see that coming because you were in the same place during training, said Austria’s men’s boss. The FIS had already been warned to take a look.
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