60th Critérium de la Première Neige coming up in Val d'Isère
60th Critérium de la Première Neige coming up in Val d'Isère
Published : 03-Dec-2015 07:29
It's now just over a week until the Critérium de la Première Neige celebrates its 60th birthday!That means two big weekends when the world's top skiers compete against each other.
From 11th to 13th December the men's slalom and GS will be held on the Face de Bellevarde, one of the World Cup's most technical courses. American Ted Ligety, Austrian Marcel Hirscher, and French racers Alexis Pinturault and Thomas Fanara are the front runners.
From 16th to 19th December it's the turn of the women, with a super-combined and a downhill on the Oreiller-Killy (the OK) course at La Daille. With Anna Fenninger absent because of a knee injury and Tina Maze taking a year's sabbatical, the field is wide open. American Lindsey Vonn, Swiss racer Lara Gut and Margot Bailet of France are among the favourites for this great birthday event.
Some of the great champions of Alpine skiing will be coming to the resort to watch, including Marielle Goitschel, Firmin Mattis, Annie Famose, Florence Steurer, and Perrine Pelen.
Events will be started off on Friday 11th December when 500 guests will have the chance to see the Très Très Privé concert sponsored by RTL2 and headlined by singer and songwriter Cali. At the same time, the official dinner with cuisine prepared by Michelin-starred celebrity chefs Benoit Vidal**, Jean Sulpice**, Emmanuel Renaut***, Christophe Aribert**, and Edouard Loubet** will be held in the new Ski Gallery & Fondue Factory to celebrate this important birthday in suitable style.
Rossignol's first Youth Hero World Cup, which takes place on Saturday, 12th December is a chance for up and coming racers to compete against the brand's top athletes under World Cup conditions.
PROGRAMME
MEN'S WORLD CUP RACES ON THE FACE DE BELLEVARDE
Friday, December 11th
Men's free skiing
6pm - Draw for GS bib numbers (live on www.worldcup-valdisere.com and skichrono.com)
7.30pm - RTL2 concert Très Très Privé with Cali at the Centre Aquasportif
7.30pm - Critérium birthday party with five chefs (Benoit Vidal, Christophe Aribert, Edouard Loubet, Emmanuel Renaud, Jean Sulpice) at the Ski Gallery and Fondue Factory.
Saturday, December 12th
From 8.30am - Youth Hero World Cup, Allée des Champions in the centre of the village.
9.30am - First run of the GS
12.30pm - Top 30 racers in the second run of the GS
4pm - Tasting organised by the celebrity chefs for the participants in the Youth Hero World Cup.
5pm - Show in the centre of the village
5.20pm - Rossignol fashion show
5.45pm - Prize giving and draw for slalom bib numbers
7.30pm - Gathering of key figures in the ski industry
Sunday, December 13th
9.30am - First run of the men's slalom
12.30pm - Second run of the men's slalom, prize-giving in the finishing area.
WOMEN'S WORLD CUP RACES ON THE OREILLER-KILLY COURSE AT LA DAILLE
Wednesday, December 16th
10.30am - Women's first training downhill run
Thursday, December 17th
10.30am - Women's second training downhill run
2.30pm - Opening press conference with past champions in the Centre du Congrès
6pm - Draw for bibs for the super-combined
Friday, December 18th
Women's Super-Combined
10.30am - Downhill
1.45pm - Slalom
5.45pm - Prize-giving and draw for bibs for the downhill
Saturday, December 19th
10.30am - Women's downhill, prize-giving in the finishing area
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