Vanreusel and Gastaldi kick off the South American Cup with a win

It’s that time of the year again. The time when the rest of the world is still in summer mode, but the FIS alpine athletes are back on snow and can’t wait for the race season to start. In the Continental Cup, the South American race serie kicked off the competition period this week with tech races in Cerro Catedral (ARG).

After the scheduled giant slalom had to be cancelled on the 9th August due to adverse conditions, the slalom could take place as planned on the 10th August. A 100% Argentinian podium topped the field of 76 racers of 11 different nations. The multiple slalom and giant slalom title winner on the South American Tour Sebastiano Gastaldi won ahead of veteran Cristian Javier Simari Birkner - the man who won the Overall 13 time already - and younggun Tomas Birkner De Miguel, who proved to be a serious contender in slalom.

On the ladies’ side, the first race day saw the 19 years old Kim Vanreusel from Belgium win her first Continental Cup, after she participated in her first World Championships last winter in St. Moritz. She was 1.35 seconds faster than Argentinia’s Salome Bancora, who claimed the South American Cup slalom title in the previous three years. French athlete Lorelie Coulet finished third, earning the best result of her 21 years young career.

This season, the South American Cup offers not less than four downhills, three super-gs, two alpine combineds, three giant slaloms and four slaloms in Cerro Catedral (ARG), Antillanca (CHI), El Colorado (CHI) and La Parva (CHI). Let’s see who will succeed to Overall winners Josef Ferstl (GER) and Ester Ledecka (CZE) after the Tour Finals in El Colorado mid-September.

Complete results available here.

Complete South American Cup calendar available here.