Ghedina, Klammer and many surprises: this is the Val Gardena Downhill

The second event on the Saslong will be the most anticipated: the Descent of Val Gardena is in fact one of the oldest races in the calendar of the Male World Cup.

Friday 16 December 2016 7 minutes reading time

Built in 1968 specifically for the 1970 World Cup, the Saslong has from that day a regular event for the World Cup Alpine Ski Male. It is currently one of the tracks that, on paper, at driving the racers more suited to the smoothness. The first minute of the race is indeed easy, and rewards not only skiers but also Skimen who manage to prepare in the best materials. The Walls of Sochers, two stretches interspersed by a steep jump in the curve, place the most famous and characteristic point of the track, the Camel Humps, three bumps at close range, the third of which is often directly bypassed. The next curve of the Lake is a prelude to the more technical part of the Saslong, the Meadows Ciaslat three bumps in quick succession followed by four long curves, the last of which, the Nucia curve, has recently been amended and made safe, they place on the long finish schuss. The jump of the Tunnel is the last difficulty of a track seemingly easy but extremely challenging. In all, no less than 52 editions of the Val Gardena Downhill played so far and they are two champions who lead the ranking of plurivittoriosi with 4 hits. This is the biggest ever in this discipline, Franz Klammer, who won March 21, 1975, on 17 and 18 December 1976 and 20 December 1982, and the largest Italian, Kristian Ghedina, who triumphed in the December 21, 1996, 19 December 1998 December 17, 1999 and December 14, 2001, date of the last of his 13 victories in the World Cup obtained in career. Instead, Peter MÃ¼ller leader concerning podiums standings. The Swiss has obtained many as 9 top three (3 wins, 4 second and 2 third places between 1978 and 1988); it follows Ghedina, that the 4 successes combines a second and two third parties for a total of 7, while in portion 6 there are Klammer and Michael Walchhofer. In addition to the star players already mentioned, in the gold we find many other great performers of the Downhill, by Bernhard Russi Franz Heinzer, Pirmin Zurbriggen Luc Alphand, from Lasse Kjus to Aksel Lund Svindal, who won the last edition. However they are also different footballing minnow able to win on a track that is particularly susceptible to climate change and light. The most striking example is that of Markus Foser, that December 17, 1993 was imposed starting with bib number 66, the highest to date to have imposed in a competition of the World Cup, when the sun had reshuffled the cards on the table . Max Rauffer instead will be eternally grateful to Eolo: the god of wind began to blow hard after a few descents of the race in 2004 and the German won in this way his only career victory. Particularly related to the Saslong are also Steven Nyman, whose only three victories were obtained right here, Rob Boyd, who in the Val Gardena Downhill won two of his three World Cup races and Antoine Deneriaz, in turn imposed itself in 2 on 4 occasions - including Olympic gold in Turin - Total career. Nor must we forget Konrad Bartelski, that on 13 December 1981, we received according to what is today the only podium finish by a Briton in a race of the Alpine Ski World Cup Men. Italy at home, as well as Ghedina, have podiums Herbert Plank, winner December 22, 1977 and according to December 17, 1976, Michael Mair, the runner-December 13, 1986, Kurt Sulzenbacher third December 14, 2011 in the race won by Ghedina is the only occasion with two blue simultaneously on the podium, and Dominik Paris, beaten by Nyman and Jansrud December 19, 2014. The Val Gardena Downhill will be staged, weather permitting, Saturday, December 17 starting at 12.15 hours fixed.

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