Blue Mountain hosts PGS double in last World Cup before Bakuriani worlds
Jan 26, 2023·Alpine Snowboard
The riders of the 2022/23 Snowboard Alpine World Cup season had much to ponder on the long flight to Blue Mountain (CAN) – host of a pair of parallel giant slalom races on Thursday 26 and Friday 27 January – following two days of topsy-turvy racing in Bansko (BUL). Titanic head-to-heads, unexpected falters and fun-filled firsts were showcased in twin parallel slalom races on 21 and 22 January, shaking up the overall and slalom standings in both women’s and men’s editions by final day’s end.
Julie Zogg (SUI) bagged both wins overtaking pre-Bulgaria table-topper – overall and in PSL – Daniela Ulbing, in the process. The Austrian struggled to hide her disappointment after faltering on the last gate of the big final on the second day, allowing Zogg through to complete two wins in 24 hours.
Just 42 points separate the duo in the combined rankings – with Zogg on 433 and Ulbing on 391 – so the two Blue Mountain races will be key heading into the second half of the season with seven of 13 races completed.
Head of the PGS leader board, however, is one Ramona Theresia Hofmeister, the defending crystal globe winner in the discipline and third overall so far this season. A patchy early period due to a back injury means the German is out of touch with the leaders overall (237) and has a mountain to climb if she is to claim a fourth-consecutive overall title. A double win in PGS last time the event was held in Blue Mountain in 2019/20 will give Hofmeister confidence whereas Zogg claimed sixth and 10th, and Ulbing, third and ninth.
A trio of debutant winners have bagged the three PGS races this season with just two to come after Canada’s outing. Michelle Dekker (NED) and Gloria Kotnik (SLO) claimed top spots in Italy’s double header in December – in Carezza and Cortina d’Ampezzo, respectively – while Carolin Langenhorst (GER) claimed the win in Scuol (SUI) in mid-January.
Scores are tight with Hofmeister on 182, compatriot Langenhorst is on 160 while Kotnik is 10 points further back on 150. One point behind the Slovenian is Aleksandra Krol (POL), courtesy of three top-eight finishes this season including a second in Carezza to Dekker, who is fifth (136). Zogg and Miki Tsubaki (JPN) are tied next on 124.
Standings after 3 of 7 races on the women’s PGS tour
1 Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER) 182 points
2 Carolin Langenhorst (GER) 160 points
3 Glora Kotnik (SLO) 150 points
4 Aleksandra Krol (POL) 149 points
Standings after 7 of 13 races on the women's overall tour
1 Julie Zogg (SUI) 433 points
2 Daniela Ulbing (AUT) 391 points
3 Ramona Theresia Hofmeister (GER) 327 points
4 Sabine Schoeffmann (AUT) 299 points
Maurizio Bormolini finds himself in unchartered territory in the men’s edition, as he emulates Zogg in sitting atop both PSL and overall tables. The Italian’s first-ever World Cup win after 80 starts on the tour came on 10 January in Bad Gastein (AUT) with a second top step following in Bansko 12 days later. However, all six podiums achieved have come in the PSL and with both results outside the top-20 last time out in Blue Mountain, Bormolini will do well to gain enough points here to hold off the longer-distance specialists.
The top-ranked rider overall before Bansko was Andreas Prommegger (AUT). A disappointing Bulgaria outing, however, saw the 42-year-old fail to make the knockout phase in the second race, finishing 20th, while an eighth the previous day dropped him down the standings. However, 15 of the 22 individual World Cup victories in his lengthy career have been in giant slalom, so experience will likely play a part in getting him back on track in the overall rankings before heading to his 12th FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships, taking place in Bakuriani, Georgia from 19 February to 5 March.
Prommegger has secured a healthy 240 points on the PGS tour so far with second-placed Oskar Kwiatkowski (POL) – another debut World Cup winner this season, in PGS to boot – is on 174. Roland Fischnaller (ITA), who started his career in 1996 alongside Prommegger, is on 171. Bormolini is eighth (106) and Alexander Payer, third on the overall tour, in 10th (92). Two more Italians – Aaron March and Mirko Felicetti – may also feature as could a pair of Austrians and a Swiss in Benjamin Karl, Fabian Obmann and Dario Caviezel, respectively.
With three of seven races completed on the PGS tour so far, it’s all to play for in Canada and if the event replicates anywhere near the excitement of the 2019/20 version, in which Karl and Felicetti made history with a first-ever tie for top spot in a parallel World Cup event, fans have a mouth-watering couple of days ahead.
Standings after 3 of 7 races on the men’s PGS tour
1 Andreas Prommegger (AUT) 240 points
2 Oskar Kwiatkowski (POL) 174 points
3 Roland Fischnaller (ITA) 171 points
4 Aaron March (ITA) 136 points
Standings after 7 of 13 races on the men's overall tour
1 Maurizio Bormolini (ITA) 372 points
2 Andreas Prommegger (AUT) 337 points
3 Alexander Payer (AUT) 317 points
4 Dario Caviezel (SUI) 295 point
Post Canada, the snowboard alpine World Cup tribe head to the FIS Freestyle Ski and Snowboarding World Championships taking place in Bakuriani, Georgia from 19 February to 5 March. The Snowboard Alpine disciplines take place 19 February (PGS), 21 February (PSL), and conclude with mixed parallel slalom on 22 February.
A return to the World Cup tour sees Livigno (ITA) host both disciplines on 11-12 March. Races in Rogla (SLO) on 15 March and Berchtesgaden (GER) on 18-19 March round out the season.
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