SBX season ready to get underway in Montafon

Although at first weather conditions did not look very favourable for the start of the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup in Montafon, Austria, course builders and organizers did their very best to adapt the course to what was possible and to save the competition, with an amazing result to hold the race as planned.

Since unfortunately last year’s race in Montafon had to be cancelled due to bad weather conditions, we look back on the results from December 2017, where on the women’s side Michela Moioli (ITA) won the race ahead of Faye Gulini (USA) and Nelly Moenne Loccoz from France.
Jarryd Hughes from Australia had won the men’s competition ahead of local hero Alessandro “Itzi” Haemmerle and his team mate Markus Schairer, who in the meantime has retired from Snowboard Cross and taken over the role of a SBX technical advisor.

As for the women, reigning Olympic Champion Michela Moioli from Italy will want to stand on top of that podium for sure, but will have to deal with some very motivated challengers, who will try to stop her.

Let’s start with Eva Samkova (CZE), the defending women’s SBX overall winner of 2018/19, who can be easily recognized by her painted-on moustache on competition days, which she claims to wear “just for fun”, but has for sure already become her absolute trademark.
Next up is USA’s Lindsay Jacobellis, who is the winningest female SBX athlete of all time and one to always watch out for. The French women’s squad with Nelly Moenne Loccoz, who will have her 80th World Cup start here in Montafon, of which she had earned 22 podiums and 3 victories and of course Chloe Trespeuch, who has one World Championship and one OWG medal in her pocket, are also on the list of potential podium takers for Friday’s race.

Looking on the men’s side of things, one can only expect Haemmerle going to do everything possible to get that top spot on the podium in front of his home crowd and his family cheering him on. “Since it is my home race, I do feel a lot of pressure, but I also really want to win this race, because it is just such a great feeling to win at home”, an excited Haemmerle says, who by the way also just recently won the European Cup in Pitztal ahead of Lorenzo Sommariva from Italy and Germany’s Martin Noerl.

As for the adapted Montafon course “you cannot give it full gas right from the start, you have to have some tactics up your sleeve, because the course is quite tricky”, the Austrian comments.
For sure, he will not be the only one fighting to cross the finish line first, since 2017 winner Jarryd Hughes (AUS) also announced a big intention to defend his title.
Of course, one can just never forget about the reigning SBX World Champion Mick Dierdorff (USA) if you are talking about podium spots, but surely names like Lucas Eguibar from Spain, Alex “Chumpy” Pullin (AUS) and Omar Visintin (ITA) cannot be ruled out for the top hot spots on that podium as well.

It is time to kick-off the season and see where everyone stands in the fight for the Crystal Globe.
Qualification starts on Thursday, Dec 12 at 09:45 CET and Finals will be going down on Friday, Dec 13 at 13:00 CET. 
You can follow the Quali via live scoring on our FIS App or on our website.

Here is the link to the TV Broadcast Info, which you can find if you click on "Übersicht aller TV-Übertragungszeiten und -sender".

QUICK LINKS

Montafon data page (programme, start lists, live timing, results)
2019/20 season trailer
2018/19 season recap video
Competition programme