Weaned from competition against their will since the start of winter, the best skiers in the world should, barring disaster, be able to return to the slopes this weekend in Val d’Isère. A giant, on Saturday, then a slalom, the next day, are planned on the program. Leaders of the French delegation, Alexis Pinturault and Olympic champion Clément Noël will be there, as will the winner of the last big crystal globe Marco Odermatt.
It’s hard to estimate the strengths present among the starters at the moment, as they have barely been able to show themselves in recent weeks. The cancellations of races have indeed followed one another, due to unpredictable weather: too much wind in Sölden in October, snowstorm in Zermatt at the beginning of November, snowfall and squalls in Beaver Creek last week… The men did not have only been able to compete in one slalom since the start of the season, won by Manuel Feller in Gurgl. In France, the big names should finally be able to launch their season.
At the same time, a round of the Women’s World Cup will be held in Switzerland in Saint-Moritz. The skiers having been less affected by bad luck, this will already be the fifth of the season. Building on her two victories in the Killington and Levi slaloms, Mikaela Shiffrin currently occupies the lead in the general classification, which she has already won five times, ahead of Petra Vlhova and Laura Gut-Behrami.
The program for the Val d’Isère round:
Saturday December 9: giant men
First round at 9:30 a.m. on Eurosport 1 and the L’Équipe channel
Second round at 1 p.m. Eurosport 1 and the L’Équipe channel
Sunday December 10: men’s slalom
First round at 9:30 a.m. on Eurosport 1 and the L’Équipe channel
Second round at 12:30 p.m. on Eurosport 1 and 12:50 p.m. on the L’Équipe channel
The program for the St. Moritz round:
Saturday December 9: women’s downhill at 10:30 a.m.
Sunday December 10: women’s super-G at 10:30 a.m.
The entire St. Moritz event will be broadcast on Eurosport 1.
