Poor Weather Leads to Cancellation of Zermatt to Cervinia Downhill Races
19th November 2023
Last weekend the men were unable to race due to bad weather. This weekend the same has happened for the women. Questions will be asked about the future of the event. UPDATED
Saturday’s race was called off due to strong winds and there seemed a certain inevitability about the announcement on Sunday morning.
‼️ Due to strong wind gusts the jury together with the LOC decided to cancel today’s downhill. ❌💨 #fisalpine pic.twitter.com/Kb3TrH3JAf
— FIS Alpine (@fisalpine) November 19, 2023
“Today the decision was more complicated than yesterday,” said the FIS Race Director Peter Gerdol on Sunday.
“Yesterday the wind was extremely strong. Today was less strong so we tried. We actually let the athletes inspect.
“We hoped that after 11:00 (CET) the weather or the wind would be less strong and acceptable.
“At the end we checked the course, particularly in the last one or two hours and the wind (had) decreased a little bit, but still not enough to have a safe race and, as we always say, the safety of the racers is the first priority and that’s why we had to cancel today.
“Of course, it is disappointing but for me every race is disappointing.
“As soon as we cancel a race we know what this means for the organisers, for the organising national skiing association and everyone.
“Our job is to do races, not to cancel races.”
We reported on the cancellation of the men’s event last weekend:
Last year the races didn’t go ahead as there was not enough snow.
The Zermatt-Cervinia downhills were to have been the first cross-border races in World Cup history.
All four race weekends have now been cancelled.
The 3.8km (2.3-mile) Gran Becca was designed by Swiss former racer Didier Defago.
It starts near Zermatt at an altitude of about 3,700m and crosses the border to finish in Italy at Laghi Cime Bianche at 2,835m.
Racers, fans and organisers will be hoping in 2024 it is third time lucky, though questions will now be asked about the whole idea of holding the races.
Here’s the women’s FIS race director, Peter Gerdol:
Gerdol on Matterhorn Cervino race future:”There is a commitment to continue this project, but of course in the next weeks, months, we will have to sit together w/all stakeholders..make all of the proper analyses and then a decision for the future” @fisalpine pic.twitter.com/vY7ZCWy1wP
— Brian Pinelli (@Brian_Pinelli) November 19, 2023
“Sponsors in March, April are much less interested because then summer sport is at its peak. They are interested because it’s the beginning of the season,” said the head of the local organising committee, Franz Julen.
“If this sport wants speed events this time of the year, we are the only region who can provide it because of the height.”
Here’s the reaction of the resort of Zermatt:
The next World Cup races are in the USA with the men competing at Beaver Creek and the women in Killington.
See here for our full and updated snow report as we look at current conditions across Europe:
