Beaver Creek combined goes to France

The World Cup super combined snowed off the schedule at Beaver Creek Thursday has been shifted overseas to Val d’Isere, France and will be changed from a downhill/slalom to a super G/slalom.The World Cup super combined snowed off the schedule at Beaver Creek Thursday has been shifted overseas to Val d’Isere, France and will be changed from a downhill/slalom to a super G/slalom.

The decision was reached moments before the Thursday Team Captain’s meeting for Friday’s downhill according to FIS Chief Race Director Gunter Hujara.

“With the cooperation and collaboration of many parties, …  we try to find the best solutions and the best solution is, and I got the confirmation five minutes prior to this meeting, we will have the super combined at Val d’Isere Friday (Dec. 12) as a super G-slalom super combined,” Hujara says. “Race day 10 o’clock super G, two o’clock slalom. This means we will have no Monday race, here in Beaver Creek.”

He commented he was sure Monday and the days following would be “excellent race days with blue skies and cold weather.”

Val d’Isere, the site of the World Championships in February, was already on the World Cup schedule for Dec. 13 and 14 with a GS Saturday and a slalom Sunday. The area has abundant snow, but had not been preparing a speed track.

The remainder of the Beaver Creek schedule, with a downhill Friday, super G Saturday and GS Sunday remains intact.

“I don’t even want to hear the weather report,” Hujara says, “We will have the downhill tomorrow.”

The forcast calls for considerably colder weather and no additional snow accumulations.

U.S. coach Sasha Rearick says the American starters for the combined race will include Bode Miller, Ted Ligety, Andrew Weibrecht, TJ Lanning, Tim Jitloff and Tim Kelley.