La Molina next up for season's penultimate SBX World Cup

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This coming weekend (March 4 – 5) will feature the penultimate stop of the 2016-17 SBX World Cup tour as La Molina (ESP) is set to host the season's sixth individual race on the 2011 world championships slope therefore also serving as ultimate form test prior to the 12th FIS Snowboard World Championships which are slated to take place in Sierra Nevada (ESP) from March 7 to 19.

With only two more events of the World Cup season to come – the finals will be staged in Veysonnaz (SUI) the weekend after the world champs – the race for the Crystal Globes is finally hitting the home stretch.

In the women's event, Belle Brockhoff (AUS) is leading the pack with 3,700 points while Olympic champion Eva Samkova (CZE) is right at her back with a total of 3,570 points.

As both have earned two wins and one second rank this season, respectively, it's pretty likely that the two dominating racers will also play a major role on the 860 metres long course purpose-built on the Alabaus slope.

However, Michela Moioli (ITA; 2,890), four-time world champion Lindsey Jacobellis (USA; 2,770) as well as Chloe Trespeuch (FRA; 2,640) are still a serious threat for the leading duo.

Over in the men's competition, the battle for the title is as exciting as it is in the women's ranking as also only 130 points separate the current leader from his main pursuer. Right now, Austria's Alessandro Haemmerle (3,100) is in front with Omar Visintin (ITA; 2,970) in second.

And with Olympic champion Pierre Vaultier (FRA; 2,450), two-time world champion Alex Pullin (AUS; 2,340), Hagen Kearney (USA; 2,320) as well as 2016 X Games gold medallist Jarryd Hughes (AUS; 2,040) four more riders have a valid claim on the title, too.

The qualifiers of the penultimate snowboard cross World Cup event are scheduled for Saturday, March 4 at 11 AM CET with the heat of four finals following on Sunday, March 5 at 11:30 AM.