Cortina d’Ampezzo (ITA) hosts last SBX WC prior to World Championships
Feb 04, 2023·Snowboard Cross
After a long break of seven weeks, where the athletes had enough time to recharge their batteries and work on their performance, the FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup is finally back in Cortina d’Ampezzo for a night race on Saturday, 04. February 2023.
Cortina d’Ampezzo which is located at 1,224 metres above sea level in the middle of the UNESCO world heritage Dolomites, hosts the Snowboard Cross World Cup for the second time in a row. But Cortina is no stranger to the FIS World Cup family as this place was already host of the 1956 Olympic Winter Games and several Alpine Skiing and Alpine Snowboard World Cups since 1993. Besides that, together with Milano, Cortina will host the next Olympic Winter Games 2026.
The race which was originally scheduled for 28 January 2023 and had to be rescheduled by one week due to lack of snow, is now hold in a shorter version than the original long course from last year.
Let’s have a look at the overall standings and on whom we can expect on the podium on Saturday.
Chloe Trespeuch (FRA) stood on the podium in all three races this season. With a victory in Cervina and a second and third place, she is the current world cup leader with 240 points. The Olympic Winter Games silver medallist is the most constant rider on the women’s side this season so far.
With 24 points behind the French rider, it’s the young Australian Josie Baff sitting in second overall position. Baff won her first ever world up at the opening race in Les Deux Alpes (FRA) and confirmed her good performance from France at the last world cup in Cervinia with a second place.
In third position it is no one else than our reigning World Champion from 2021, Charlotte Bankes (GBR) trying to catch up with Baff and Trespeuch. After a bad start in Les Deux Alpes, the Great Britain athlete showed some really good riding in Cervinia, where she earned a third place and a victory.
Besides these three women, we must have a look at Italian Michaela Moioli, who is finally back in the World Cup circuit. The Olympic Champion from Pyeongchang 2018 was struggling with back problems which didn’t allow her to race in the beginning of the season. We are more than happy to welcome Moioli back on track and see her racing on home soil. Can she already defend her title from last year here in Cortina d’Ampezzo after such a long break of racing? We will see.
On men’s side, it`s overall World Cup winner from 2022 and title defender here in Cortina, Martin Noerl (GER) leading the overall standing list with 240 points. The German rider started with a victory in Les Deux Alpes (FRA) followed by a third and a second place in Cervinia (ITA) right before Christmas. This makes him the most consistent rider on men’s side so far.
With 63 points behind, which means a total of 177 points, Loan Bozzolo (FRA) is in second overall position. The young French rider not only won his first World Cup race in Cervinia, but it was also his first World Cup podium of his career. This victory for sure gives him some extra motivation for the race on Saturday.
139 and 138 points is what the two Austrians Jacob Dusek and Alessandro Haemmerle have collected so far. The fact that Dusek, who only stood on the podium once this season is in third position in the overall ranking, shows how strong the men’s field is this season. Beijing 2022 Olympic champion Haemmerle who is still struggling with consequences of a concussion will not race here in Cortina.
Like on women’s side we should not underestimate the power athletes gain from racing on home soil and so we can also have an eye on the two Italians Omar Visintin, who already stood on the podium once this season, and on Lorenzo Sommariva.
Cortina title defenders from January 2022: Michela Moioli (ITA) and Noerl Martin (GER).
Due to the weather forecast which predicts a lot of wind on Saturday during the day, the Qualifications are now scheduled for Friday, 03 February at 15:15 CET for men and at 18:00 CET for women. Qualifications can be followed on our website or via our FIS App.
The night race on Saturday, 04 February is slated to go down at 18:30 CET.
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