Val di Fassa: a key stop in the race for the discipline Crystal Globes
Sofia Goggia chasing the Super-G Crystal Globe, and Trentino skier Laura Pirovano aiming for a long-awaited first World Cup podium: these are among the main storylines highlighted on Thursday 26 February during the press conference presenting the Women's Alpine Ski World Cup weekend, which returns to Val di Fassa for the third time. The programme gets underway on Friday 6 March with the rescheduled race originally cancelled in Crans-Montana, followed by a second Downhill on Saturday 7 March, and a Super-G on Sunday 8 March - all on the La VolatA course in the San Pellegrino Ski Area.
At the Edo Benedetti Hall (Itas Group, Trento), Fausto Lorenz, President of Val di Fassa Grandi Eventi, joined by Roberto Failoni (Trentino’s Provincial Councillor for Tourism), Alessandro Molinari (CEO of Itas), Paola Mora (President of CONI Trento), Raffaella Podetti (Vice President of FISI Trentino), Edoardo Felicetti (Procurator of the Comun General de Fascia), as well as Mauro Vendruscolo (President of the Alpe Lusia-San Pellegrino Lift Consortium) and Race Director Mattia Giongo, presented the full details of the international event.
Among this year's key updates are a higher-altitude start area, the introduction of terrain variations in the central section - with new changes in gradient designed to manage speed on the steep pitch - and a wider finish area. From a sporting perspective, Val di Fassa will be pivotal in shaping the discipline standings. In Downhill, the leader Lindsey Vonn is currently sidelined due to a recent serious injury, while three athletes are separated by just 49 points: Germany's Emma Aicher and Kira Weidle-Winkelmann, and Trentino's Laura Pirovano. In Super-G, Sofia Goggia leads with 280 points, ahead of Alice Robinson on 220.
Fra le novità di questa edizione lo spostamento in quota della zona di partenza, la creazione di deformazioni nella parte centrale con nuovi cambi di pendenza per rallentare la velocità sul muro e una zona di arrivo più ampia. Dal punto di vista sportivo la tre giorni della Val di Fassa assume un ruolo chiave per la definizione delle classifiche di specialità, visto che in discesa la leader Lindsey Vonn è fuori causa per il recente grave infortunio e in soli 49 punti sono concentrate ben tre atlete, quali le tedesche Emma Aicher e Kira Weidle Winkelmann e la trentina Laura Pirovano, mentre in superG comanda Sofia Goggia con 280 punti, davanti ad Alice Robinson con 220.
With everything still open, Val di Fassa is set to be a crucial stage in the fight for the discipline titles, following the upcoming speed races in Soldeu (Andorra).
Qualification for the World Cup Finals in Lillehammer will also be at stake: athletes will need valuable points in both Soldeu and Val di Fassa to finish inside the top 25 of the discipline standings, alongside the Junior World Champions in each discipline, who will be crowned in Narvik (Norway) from 5 to 15 March.
