Val d'Isere: Worlds kick off with new courses

Val d’Isere, France – On Monday a harsh wind rippled banners and flags at the base area of the steep and rocky peaks surrounding Val d’Isere, France, site of the 2009 world alpine championships, which kick off Tuesday with the women’s super G race.

The wind on Monday was accompanied by fog, flat light and a light and steady snowfall that is forecasted to subside Tuesday morning, but the clouds will likely stick around.Val d’Isere, France – On Monday a harsh wind rippled banners and flags at the base area of the steep and rocky peaks surrounding Val d’Isere, France, site of the 2009 world alpine championships, which kick off Tuesday with the women’s super G race.

The wind on Monday was accompanied by fog, flat light and a light and steady snowfall that is forecasted to subside Tuesday morning, but the clouds will likely stick around.

The speed courses at Val d’Isere are relatively unchartered territory for both the men and women.

A few of the women’s teams had spring training on the slope last year, but there has never been a race held here. U.S.  women’s speed coach Alex Hoedlmoser characterizes the ladies course as “technical,” and of the U.S. women, only World Cup overall leader Lindsey Vonn was in attendance at last year’s training to sample the hill.

“It’s going to require good skiing and they’re going to have to be aggressive,” Hoedlmoser said. “No matter what, it’s going to be technical.”
 
Fresh off her two big wins in the Garmisch SG and slalom last weekend, Vonn took a private jet from Innsbruck to Geneva and got a couple of runs on the Val d’Isere hill Monday before FIS officials set the super G course in the afternoon.

“From skiing on it today, it’s definitely bumpy for the entire course except for maybe the top 25 turns,” Vonn said. “There’s going to be parts of the course where it’s easy to get behind. You just have to stay on the line as best you can.”

In describing the course, Vonn said the top portion is relatively smooth and easy with sweeping turns and a small compression. A flat part follows, then she said is when the course begins to throw real terrain at the racers.

“You go over a break over into the forest and the hill zigs and zags a little bit,” she said. “I think it’s going to be hard to find your rhythm. The terrain is constantly changing. The grade of the slope is constantly changing. You come to a little flat, then it’s a huge left turn into a side hill which is also going to be a big compression. I think that’s going to be the most difficult part of the course.”

As far as the men’s course goes, the one time it’s ever been used was for the 1992 men’s Olympic speed events, in which very few of today’s racers participated.

2009 world alpine championships schedule at Val d’Isere:

Monday, Feb. 2: Opening ceremony at  6:45 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 3: Women’s Super G at 1 p.m.; awards at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 4: Men’s Super G at 11 a.m., women’s downhill training at 1 p.m.
Thursday,  Feb. 5: Men’s at women’s downhill training at 11 a.m.   
Friday, Feb. 6: Women’s super-combined race at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., men’s DH training at 11 a.m.
Saturday, Feb. 7: Men’s DH race at 11 a.m., women’s DH training at 1 p.m.   
Sunday, Feb. 8: Women’s DH race at 11 a.m.   
Monday, Feb. 9:  Men’s super-combined race at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.          
Tuesday, Feb. 10: Day off                          
Wednesday, Feb. 11: Nation team event at 11 a.m. and awards at 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 12: Women’s giant slalom race at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.   
Friday, Feb. 13: Men’s giant slalom at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.     
Saturday, Feb. 14:  Women’s slalom race at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.14th February
Sunday, Feb. 15: Men’s slalom race at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.; Closing ceremony at 3:30 p.m.