ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP. 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. Thus, the race was canceled and will not be rescheduled.

Cyprien Richard of France speeds down the course during the first run of an alpine ski men's World Cup giant slalom race race in Soelden, Austria, Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010. (AP Photo/Keystone, Alessandro Della Bella)

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.

A man stands at the finish line during the men's giant slalom World Cup race on the Rettenbach glacier in the Tyrolean ski resort of Soelden October 24, 2010. The race had to be cancelled due to bad aether conditions on the mountain. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger (AUSTRIA)

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.

Two people stand next to the scoreboard during the men's giant slalom World Cup race on the Rettenbach glacier in the Tyrolean ski resort of Soelden October 24, 2010. The race had to be cancelled due to bad weather conditions on the mountain. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger (AUSTRIA)

The entire first run went off as planned and France’s Cyprien Richard put down an astonishingly fast performance, finishing in 1 minute 10.56 seconds, just 0.02 seconds faster than American GS champ Ted Ligety, who finished second. Keeping the competition extra tight, Austria’s Phillip Schoerghofer and Italy’s Davide Simoncelli tied for third, just 0.03 seconds back.

The within-one-second-of-the-leader club also included Austria’s Marcel Hirscher, who was fourth place, 0.13 seconds off Richard’s time, Norway’s Kjetil Jansrud and Aksel Lund Svindal, 0.15 seconds and 0.39 seconds back, respectively, and also Austrian Romed Baumann in eighth, 0.74 seconds back.

Kalle Palander made an impressive return to racing after a two-season hiatus and finished the first run in 11th place with 1.30 seconds to make up. Also not far behind was a seemingly very healthy Jean-Baptiste Grange, 1.45 seconds off the lead pace. Bode Miller was the other U. S. contestant. He would have started eighth in the final run had it gone off.

The next men’s World Cup race – the first slalom of the season – takes place in Levi, Finland on 14 November.

SkiRacing.com / FISalpine.com
October 24, 2010