On the 12th, 13th and 14th of December, the 53rd edition of the “Critérium de la Première Neige” will officially launch the winter season in Val d’Isère, which promises to be a very special one for the resort.
This will be the final test event prior to the 2009 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, a warm up event for this Savoyard village on the eve of a great skiing extravaganza.
On December 12th, Val d’Isère will officially start the season with the “Critérium de la Première Neige” once again. The race has been run in Val d’Isère since 1955 and became an official FIS World Cup event in 1967/68.
Even though the traditionally sporting aspect of the event remains unchanged, the race route has been completely changed.
Traditionally organized on the slopes of La Daille, the World Cup is to be run this year on the Bellevarde “Face”. The “slope of our era” offers an ideal exposure and breathtakingly steep slopes. 90% of the slope is visible from the Finish Area.
The 2009 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships are to be held on this very same slope so the organizers are hoping to use this event as a final trial run prior to the February event.
Many aspects of the event will be put to the test such as the preparation of the slope, the smooth running of the races, the positioning of the various enclosures (Finish Area, media and athletes’ zones, official guests and VIP galleries) as well as the new traffic and parking plan.
Volunteer training and management, the accreditation process, telecommunications, the press and media unit as well as the WIFI service will also play an important role in this trial run: an impressive challenge for the Organising Committee.