‘The monkey is off my back’: Siegenthaler (SUI) ready to repeat first win on home snow
Jan 26, 2024·Snowboard Cross
Sina Siegenthaler (SUI) is still in dreamland as she prepares for the resumption of the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup season on home snow in St. Moritz, Switzerland this weekend.
The 23-year-old finds herself in the unfamiliar position of arriving at an event as the rider to beat after her blistering maiden career win in Cervinia, Italy in the last race of 2023.
“I knew I could be fast, especially on my favourite course, but my preparation was so bad that I really only went to gain experience and to get back to racing again,” she said.
After waiting six years and 17 races to even reach a podium, never mind stand on top of it, Siegenthaler is proof that hard work will eventually be rewarded.
“Everything went so incredibly well that day. It showed that the hard journey was worth it and that feels damned good. Now that the monkey’s off my back I can enjoy every run and attack.”
Siegenthaler is sure to attack a St. Moritz course which will host the 2025 Snowboard World Championships and is loaded with features, including a hairpin low-rider bank out of the top section and a countdown rollercoaster into the final turn.
“It will be completely different to Cervinia – different setting, different elements and back to heats of four again,” she said.
“I hope that I can fight for the top positions in my home race. Charlotte Bankes (GBR) will for sure be fast and many other girls have made great use of the longer break.”
Adamczykova back from the ballroom
Nobody has enjoyed as long a break as Eva Adamczykova (CZE), the 2023 world champion who missed the first two stops of the season to compete in a celebrity ballroom dancing contest on Czech TV, reaching December’s final.
“I really don’t want to ride it easy in the World Cup season,” she said. “I’m going to try my best and I’m hoping that I can make some podiums but it’s pretty tough to keep up with the girls because they are so good, and getting better every day.
“I watched the races in Les Deux Alpes [France] and Cervinia - it was really tough racing so it’s not going to be easy at all. I’m not worried about it; I’m just going to see how it goes in St Moritz and then have some more training in February.”
Grondin and Haemmerle to lock horns again
One rider on the men’s side who has been making every course a home away from home so far this season is Eliot Grondin (CAN).
The Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games silver medallist won the season opener in Les Deux Alpes and finished third in Cervinia to keep the pressure on early leader Alessandro Haemmerle (AUT) in the race for the Crystal Globe.
At times this season these two have been riding close enough together to swap bib numbers and there is already clear daylight between Grondin in second place in the FIS World Cup standings and the Australian pair of Adam Lambert (AUS) and Cameron Bolton (AUS) in third and fourth.
The home charge in St.Moritz will be led by Kalle Koblet (SUI), who placed a creditable fourth in Les Deux Alpes but was some way off the pace in Italy.
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