Fog wins first race of men's World Cup season

SOELDEN, Austria – Heavy fog blanketed the lower sections of the Rettenbach Glacier, forcing several course holds and finally a decision to cancel the opening men’s race of the 2010-11 World Cup season, the traditional Soelden GS.
 
It was a disappointment for all the athletes, particularly those who had placed in the top ten, and the news also frustrated the 13,000 fans who had trekked up the winding lane to the race site.

At one point, the fog was so thick that spectators could barely see the final gate. The giant big screen just above the finish area was enveloped in fog and could not be seen at all from the stands. In fact if one did not know where it was, one never would know it was there.

The anomaly was the fact that the top 15 gates were in the clear, with the jagged Oeztal mountain peaks in plain view behind the start tent.

The fog spoiled one of the closest races in recent memory as the top six competitors were within 15 hundredths of each other. The top ten of the first run represented a diverse international field as well with seven nations being represented.
Ted Ligety, out to defend his giant slalom overall title, was in second place, behind Frenchman Richard Cyprien. Bode Miller was the other U. S. contestant. He would have started eighth in the final run had it gone off.

Image: view of the finish line from coach’s pen.
cover image by GEPA