First ever SBX World Cup in Turkey

With the Snowboard Freestyle and Alpine Snowboard World Cup already in full swing in 2018 it's finally time for the snowboard cross specialists to return to business, too. The first races of the New Year will take place this weekend in Erzurum which therefore becomes the first ever Turkish ski resort to host a SBX Word Cup.

One individual and one team event are slated to take place from 19th to 21st January with the individual race on Saturday marking the final qualifying opportunity for many riders looking to earn Olympic quota spots as well as to make their Olympic teams as the official international Olympic qualifier period for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games comes to an end on 21st January.

In addition, the race for the crystal globe will also hit the half-time mark with the women's competition providing a thrilling battle of three for the crown.

Five-time World Champion Lindsey Jacobellis (USA) is currently in the lead with 3,380 points but the 32-year-old has lost the momentum in the last events after placing second in the season's opener and adding back-to-back wins in the second and third race of the winter.

As the Stratton, VT resident finished tenth and eighth in the last two competitions her main pursuers Chloe Trespeuch (FRA; 3,300) and Michela Moioli (ITA; 3,230) were able to catch up in the World Cup rankings and are now breathing down her neck.

With two wins in a row prior to the turn of the year, it's especially the Italian racer from Alzano Lombardo Jacobellis has to have an eye on.

In the men's event, current leader Alex Pullin (AUS; 3,026) is still having quite a comfortable lead on 2014 Olympic Champion Pierre Vaultier (FRA; 2,520) although the reigning World Champion from France has finally started rolling snatching his season's first podium as runner-up in the last World Cup event in Italy.

Austria's top gun Alessandro Haemmerle (2,120) is also still within reach while the rest of the field is already quite behind in the race for the title.

But as racing in heats of four like in Erzurum is always unpredictable one should never count out athletes like Adam Lambert (AUS; 1,690), Omar Visintin (ITA; 1,680), Mick Dierdorff (USA; 1,654), Jarryd Hughes (AUS; 1,564) and Emanuel Perathoner (ITA; 1,502) as all five are not only currently ranked fourth to eighth, respectively but also have had one podium finish this season already.

Qualifiers for the individual race of the Erzurum World Cup stop are slated for Friday 19th January with the finals following on Saturday at 10:30 (8:30 CET).

The team event is scheduled for Sunday at 11:30 (9:30 CET). A detailed programme is available .

Live timing links for both, qualifiers and finals, can be found here. Live TV information will be constantly updated here.