Fabienne Suter of Switzerland speeds down during the women's downhill training session at the Bulgarian ski resort of Bansko February 25, 2009. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov (BULGARIA)
. bg ski news : World Cup Bansko First Downhill Training - 25 Февруари 2009 - 12:29
Bansko: Brings Eastern European 'twist'
Those complaining about turny downhill courses in the past shouldn't have spoken so soon. At least not before arriving at the women's World Cup in Bansko, Bulgaria.
The alpine World Cup has never traveled so far East and Bansko, the largest ski area in the region, has stepped up to host the inaugural women's downhill and super G races this weekend. The course that the International Ski Federation has put down, however, is not going to be easy.
Fabienne Suter of Switzerland speeds down during the women's downhill training session at the Bulgarian ski resort of Bansko February 25, 2009. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov (BULGARIA)
Lindsey Vonn of the U.S speeds down during the women's downhill training session at the Bulgarian ski resort of Bansko February 25, 2009. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh(BULGARIA)
Nadja Kamer of Switzerland falls during the women's downhill training session at the Bulgarian ski resort of Bansko February 25, 2009. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh (BULGARIA)
"The downhill course is bordering on ridiculously turny," said U.S. Women's Head Coach Jim Tracy. "The hill itself is OK. This one middle section has these gigantic turns. It's like a super G with four traverses in it. It's challenging, for sure."
Austrian World Champion bronze medalist Andrea Fischbacher put down the fastest training run on Wednesday (1 minute, 46.44 seconds) - more than a second and a half faster than the next in line, Fabienne Suter.
"Fischbacher was surprisgingly fast, but she did not ski it well," Tracy said. "She had fast skis is all."
A men's Europa Cup was held on the same hill last season and Tracy said someone had determined that the course there was 24 seconds faster than the women's course and he thinks the big turns in the steeps were added specifically to slow it down.
The top of the course winds around above treeline before traversing into the first steep pitch, taking racers straight across the fall line, then down a wide face followed by a long, right-footed traverse into the next steep pitch, with the highest speeds - probably not exceeding 112 kilometers per hour, Tracy said - coming on the bottom quarter of the course, which isn't nearly as bumpy as the top half. Despite the traverses, the pitches are significantly steep - with 30-degree slope angles or more.
"It's all going to be about good body position. You'll have to fight to work to get the downhill skis to turn," Tracy said. "All the turns are icy. It's really icy on all of these pitches. When it's so icy and bumpy, body position is going to be key. It's going to be tough."
Lindsey Vonn was the fastest American in training Wednesday, finishing sixth but nearly 2 seconds off the lead pace.
Though the World Championships course at Val d'Isere was far different than the Bansko course, many athletes and coaches complained that it had too many turns. Vonn was one of few racers to say she liked the challenge of the turny speed course at Val d'Isere, then followed through by winning gold in both the super G and the downhill. Tracy said he didn't press his girls for their opinion of the Bansko course because the main objective was mastering it.
"I didn't ask them today," Tracy said of his team. "There's a lot of people complaining they don't like it that much. I don't want my team to get thinking like that. I want them to solve the challenge."
As for the ambience of the Eastern European resort, Tracy said Bansko feels more like a city than a village, people are "super-friendly" and more than willing to help. All of the teams are staying in the same hotel and it was a long process to check in late Tuesday night after flying from Munich to Sofia and taking vans and buses to Bansko. Tracy said organization of the event is good, but lacks the know-how that only experience can bring. For example, there were 150 slippers on the course Wednesday morning - far more than necessary - but not enough start lists to go around. Still, he said there are already a lot of TV cameras and curious spectators and a good feel to the event.
Getting to the race course, however, is somewhat of an undertaking.
"You ride the longest gondola on the planet," he said. "It's over 2 miles long. It takes you up to the finish area. Then you ride two chairlifts from there."
Another training run is scheduled for Thursday and racing begins Friday with a downhill, a second DH Saturday making up for the canceled race in St. Moritz, and wrapping up with super G on Sunday.
By Shauna Farnell
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
SkiRacing.com
MORE INFO COMING SOON !!!
Place Bansko (BUL) Discipline Downhill
Date 25.02.2009 Category Training
Race codex 5310 Gender L
Valid for FIS Points NO TD Name Berthod Martin (SUI)
OFFICIAL RESULTS - FIRST TRAINING
Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Total Time
1 19 55750 FISCHBACHER Andrea 1985 AUT 1:46.44
2 22 515766 SUTER Fabienne 1985 SUI 1:47.98
3 21 516138 GUT Lara 1991 SUI 1:48.15
4 2 196573 REVILLET Aurelie 1986 FRA 1:48.17
5 9 206001 RIESCH Maria 1984 GER 1:48.40
6 10 537544 VONN Lindsey 1984 USA 1:48.42
7 18 515170 STYGER Nadia 1978 SUI 1:48.43
8 7 105997 BRYDON Emily 1980 CAN 1:48.67
9 35 515849 DETTLING Andrea 1987 SUI 1:49.14
10 30 495318 RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina 1981 SPA 1:49.19
11 41 55766 MADER Regina 1985 AUT 1:49.31
12 15 55576 GOERGL Elisabeth 1981 AUT 1:49.51
13 43 296427 SCHNARF Johanna 1984 ITA 1:49.52
14 16 106022 JANYK Britt 1980 CAN 1:49.56
15 29 515560 SCHILD Martina 1981 SUI 1:49.77
16 1 195671 JACQUEMOD Ingrid 1978 FRA 1:49.82
17 23 195983 ROLLAND Marion 1982 FRA 1:49.88
18 45 225206 ALCOTT Chemmy 1982 GBR 1:50.04
19 28 515573 AUFDENBLATTEN Fraenzi 1981 SUI 1:50.07
20 8 55069 GOETSCHL Renate 1975 AUT 1:50.08
21 13 106402 VANDERBEEK Kelly 1983 CAN 1:50.22
22 40 55818 KOEHLE Stefanie 1986 AUT 1:50.27
23 39 537582 COOK Stacey 1984 USA 1:50.35
24 34 55970 SCHMIDHOFER Nicole 1989 AUT 1:50.40
25 37 295136 CECCARELLI Daniela 1975 ITA 1:50.46
26 38 538038 MARSHALL Chelsea 1986 USA 1:50.67
27 11 505483 PAERSON Anja 1981 SWE 1:50.71
28 5 206175 STECHERT Gina 1987 GER 1:51.18
29 24 296431 STUFFER Verena 1984 ITA 1:51.19
30 27 55588 RUMPFHUBER Ingrid 1981 AUT 1:51.36
31 33 295533 RECCHIA Lucia 1980 ITA 1:52.02
32 32 537626 RICHARDSON Kaylin 1984 USA 1:52.38
33 44 297153 CIPRIANI Enrica 1988 ITA 1:53.31
34 47 95050 KIRKOVA Maria 1986 BUL 1:55.43
35 36 505449 BENT Nike 1981 SWE 1:56.83
Disqualified 1st run
46 505886 KLING Kajsa 1988 SWE
42 537565 KELLEHER Keely 1984 USA
31 106849 YURKIW Larisa 1988 CAN
26 296008 MERIGHETTI Daniela 1981 ITA
25 296473 SIORPAES Wendy 1985 ITA
20 537545 MANCUSO Julia 1984 USA
17 565243 MAZE Tina 1983 SLO
12 515747 GISIN Dominique 1985 SUI
6 196460 MARCHAND-ARVIER Marie 1985 FRA
Did not finish 1st run
14 296729 FANCHINI Nadia 1986 ITA
4 515806 KAMER Nadja 1986 SUI
3 515429 DUMERMUTH Monika 1977 SUI