Telemark World Cup action just one month away

there's just one month to go before the start of the FIS Telemark World Cup season.

FIS is pleased to announce that USA (Sam Graber) and Canada (Mikaël Dansereau) plan to join the World Cup circuit this season. It will be also the last dance of Bastien Dayer (SUI) who will finish his brilliant career in Thyon at the Swiss National Championships (31/03-2/04/23). Dayer has achieved 99 podiums and 11 crystal globes between 2008 and 2022. The Swiss squad, winners of all the 2022 crystal globes with Martina Wyss and Bastien Dayer, has nothing to prove for 2023 and will be strengthened by the return of Amélie Wenger-Reymond (44 globes and 211 podiums between 2013 - 2021) and Stefan Matter (34 podiums and 4 crystal globes).

The first World Cup will be held in Les Contamines, France (6-9/03/23). Antoine Bouvier’s fiefdom as a former telemark racer and now at the head of the French Team since one year as the coach. All eyes will be focused on the Frenchies, winners of the Team Globe for 2022. Pressure for sure for the homie Bouvier who will lead his troops in his childhood playground.

“The new season kicks off in Les Contaminés and I’m looking forward to seeing how the organisers lay on the event, the piste, jump and loom plus seeing all the athletes perform in the new year," said Jasmin Taylor (GBR Telemark Team and FIS Athletes Representative)

Then heading to the east of France in Les Vosges with Gérardmer (19-21/01/23) for the first time as a World Cup venue. The third stage will occur in Melchsee-Frutt (SUI- 27-29/01/23). Last season the organising crew Telemark Laïf delivered racers a Classic race to remember prefiguring the return of a kind of « Monster Classic » similar to what happened a decade ago. Indeed it will be one of the steepest Classic in the WC calendar according to Tino Tresch and Stefan Matter at the head of the Laïf crew. This stage could redistribute the cards, making space for a new King and Queen of the Classic for this season, before heading to Aal in Norway (16-18/02/23). Last season conditions in Aal were great and the public at the finish line has been one of the most hearty of last season especially during the Parallel Sprint streamed by NRK (national TV). The Norwegian Team Telemarklandslaget led by Trym Nygaard Loeken is gaining confidence with plenty of performing rookies. For sure the Norwegians will play for the win in the cradle of Telemark skiing.

Krvavec (SLO) will host the Junior World Championships and a World Cup stage in March (9-11/03/23). For the most eastern stage of the calendar, it’s a love affair with most of the racers. A particular place in the heart of telemark racing which sacred the Globes winners last season.

The German Telemark team will then be proud to host the World Cup Finals in Bad Hindelang / Oberjoch (16-18/03/23). The 2021 World Cup stage here was amazing…and we can expect that Oberjoch will close a new World Cup chapter with flair.

The battle for the World Champion medals will take place in Mürren (SUI, 20-26/03/2022) in front of mythical mountains. Titans Races of one day arbitrated by titans (Eiger and Jungfrau).

It may be too soon to gamble but racers are World Cup ready with an interesting patchworks of teams for this season (Andorra, Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Italia, Norway, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, USA).

FIS wishes the best to all of athletes.