Ryding Aiming to Bounce Back in Wengen
9th January 2024
Last modified on January 13th, 2024
GB’s greatest alpine skier, Dave Ryding, will be back in action at the classic World Cup race meeting in Wengen this Sunday after a disappointing result last weekend. UPDATED
Ryding finished in 21st place in the slalom at Adelboden, describing his performance as “pretty awful” and saying he’ll try for better in Wengen.
But, despite failing to make the top 20 in Adelboden, Ryding’s impressive results in the first two races of the season mean he’s hanging on to third place in the men’s slalom World Cup standings.
He was 4th in the opening race in his ‘home’ resort of Gurgl, Austria.
It followed one of his famous second run charges where he shot up the leaderboard from 15th spot.
His combined time over the two runs was just 100th of a second off a podium place.
The Rocket followed that up with a brilliant 3rd in the night slalom in Madonna di Campiglio in the Italian Dolomites.
It was his 7th World Cup podium.
So, the 37-year-old has had two great results and one not so good, by his high standards.
His third place in the current slalom standings is precarious.
He’s just one point ahead of Norwegian Timon Haugan who’s lying fourth and eight points ahead of another Norwegian, Atle Lie McGrath in fifth.
It’s still early days.
There are nine more slalom races between now and the end of the season.
They include Kitzbühel, a very happy hunting ground for Ryding.
He has podiumed at the Hahnenkamm three times, making sporting history in January 2022 with his memorable victory.
Dave Ryding wins the Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm slalom, January 2022. Image © Juergen Klecha
Three days after Kitzbühel there’s the Schladming night slalom.
PlanetSKI plans to be among the tens of thousands of spectators in the Austrian resort to experience the spectacle.
If you want to know just how special the atmosphere is, have a read of this article by the PlanetSKI editor, James Cove, who was there in 2020.
But before all that is another special race weekend.
The Lauberhorn races in the Swiss resort of Wengen are best known for the speed events, with the men’s Super G on Friday and Downhill on Saturday.
Ryding – along with fellow Brits Billy Major and Laurie Taylor – will be in action in the slalom on Sunday.
Race Facts:
- It starts at 1,475m altitude at the Innerwengen mountain station on the Allmend.
- The maximum gradient is 36°
- The lowest gradient is 2°
- The average gradient is 17.2°
- The course is approximately 644 metres long
- The height difference is 190 metres
Ryding’s best result in Wengen to date is 8th in 2019.
He was 21st last year.
Everyone at PlanetSKI will be cheering him on for a great result on Sunday and for the rest of the season.
Remaining Men’s Slalom World Cups:
- 14 January – Wengen
- 21 January – Kitzbühel
- 24 January – Schladming
- 4 February – Chamonix
- 11 February – Bansko
- 25 February – Palisades Tahoe
- 3 March – Aspen
- 10 March – Kranjska Gora
- 16 March – Saalbach (WC Finals)
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