Grand PGS World Cup finale in Turkey

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This coming Saturday, March 4, 2017, is not just bringing the last alpine snowboard event prior to the 12th FIS Snowboard World Championships which are staged in Sierra Nevada (ESP) from March 9 to 17, 2017.

Erciyes-Kayseri (TUR) will also host the last parallel giant slalom of the 2016-17 World Cup season playing host to the the decisive chapter in a so far thrilling race for the World Cup titles.

With the battle for the Crystal Globes being on the home stretch, all eyes are on Alena Zavarzina (RUS) and Patrizia Kummer (SUI) who are up for one last round of their private battle for the crown.

After both racers had been facing each other in the finals of the last two parallel giant slalom events with Zavarzina coming out victorious twice, it's the 2011 world champion who sits atop of the current World Cup ranking with 3,500 points looking strong enough to finally bring home her career's first.

However, Kummer is only 400 points behind having accumulated a total of 3,100 points so far being ready to give it everything to earn her career's fifth discipline World Cup title whilst having another three overall World Cup titles to her belt, too.

While the 2014 Olympic bronze medallist from Russia and the 2014 Olympic champion from Switzerland are duking it out on the women's side of thing, Radoslav Yankov (BUL) seems to be uncatchable in the men's event.

The Bulgarian racer who took the scene by storm last season securing the overall World Cup title of the alpine snowboard World Cup tour, has earned a total of 3,490 points so far with Austrian veteran Benjamin Karl being the only real pursuer with 2,660 points.

However, if there is one rider in the field, who has the skill-set and the nerves to do wonders, it's Karl, a four-time world champion with two Olympic medals as well as seven World Cup titles in his bag already.

But Karl would have to triumph on the Kültepe slope while Yankov would definitely grab the title with a 14th rank finish.

And with the Bulgarian superstar being in a great shape at the moment, chances are low for Karl with the ones of third ranked rider Nevin Galmarini (2,558.50) being only theoretical as a win wouldn't be enough for the Swiss racer if Yankov would place 24th or better.