The Matterhorn World Cup project revealed in detail: "Similar to Wengen, the show will not be missing"

In recent days, the confirmation that, for autumn 2023, work is being carried out on the "Speed Opening" with a historic descent (but two super-gs are also being contested). At the "Blick", the words of Urs Lehmann, Franz Julen and Bernhard Russi.

Monday 17 May 2021 7 minutes reading time

The first transnational race at the World Cup level, a huge project that, thanks to a splendid mountain like the Matterhorn, links Italy to Switzerland with the "Speed Opening" which sees FISI, Swiss-Ski, but also work together the realities of the Cervinia and Zermatt ski lifts, the Valle d'Aosta region itself and the Canton of Valais. Designed by the Olympic champion Didier Défago, the descent that could make its debut in the maximum circuit in October 2023, will start from 3899 meters of altitude (never has we gone so high) of Gobba Rollin, in southern Swiss territory of the Piccolo Cervino, to then take place for two thirds on Italian snow until the arrival at an altitude of 2814, at the level of Laghi Cime Bianche. A track of over 4 km and about two and a half minutes in duration. Does it remind you of anything? Yes, precisely the Lauberhorn of Wengen, with slopes that are not impossible, but the guarantee that even at a scenographic level nothing will be missing. This is guaranteed, speaking to colleagues of the Swiss newspaper "Blick", by some of the protagonists and proponents of this idea by now increasingly reality, by Urs Lehmann and Bernhard Russi who understand descents and, albeit with different roles, reflect with great enthusiasm on this increasingly concrete possibility of having a nice block of CdM races on the Matterhorn. In addition to the two descents (one for men and one for women) at the beginning of November 2023, a stage that would become fixed in the calendar, two super-gs should also be played in the previous weekend, at the end of October. "The plan provides for a FIS or European Cup race as a test in 2022 - says Lehmann, president of Swiss-Ski and candidate for the position of number 1 of the International Federation, with the elections scheduled in just over two weeks - the project is extremely innovative, it does not create problems of any kind for all the companies involved and there are reliable partners behind it. I am extremely confident that everything can be realized ”. Entering into the technical details of the track, the same downhill world champion in Morioka 1993 explains: "I tried it myself and I can say that it has a technical and steep jump in the upper part then, due to the shape of the glacier, the central section has a diagonal and the highlight is the stretch that marks the border with Italy, with an important slope and a jump between the rocks. Yes, it will be technically demanding ”. Franz Julen, Chairman of the Board of Zermatt Bergbahnen AG, was the one who gave rise to the Speed Opening project: "Women should travel the same route, it will be just a little bit shorter - his words to Blick - It will be difficult to get the same logistical possibilities for the public as in Wengen or Adelboden, but there will be stands not only in the finish area ”. Finally Bernhard Russi, who for the FIS has already inspected the track and declared himself enthusiastic: "The correct expression is ... exciting - the words of the Olympic champion from Sapporo ''72 and winner of two Downhill World Cups - Skiing desires innovation and challenges, that's exactly what this idea brings. At almost 4000 meters, in the heart of nature, the context of this descent excites me. It will not be the most difficult technical context, but it is a sort of Everest of skiing, since there will be no protection from bad weather and wind. Here, we must be aware of this, because the risk that an athlete could lose compared to a rival, without even realizing it, exists much more on this track than in other contexts such as Kitzbuehel, for example, which starts at an altitude of 1600 meters and sees the Streif plunge into the forest. On the Matterhorn, every little gust of wind can influence the race ”.

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