Braathen, Hallberg and the Austrians train on the Ganslern
On the last possible training day before the race on 25 January, six World Cup athletes took advantage of a beautifully sunny morning to (re)acquaint themselves with the Ganslern slope.
So far, 14 January has probably been one of the most beautiful days of the year: brilliant sunshine, a cloudless blue sky, pleasant temperatures and plenty of snow. What better way, you might think, to spend a morning than on skis? Many winter sports fans will have felt exactly that – but not the sextet on the Ganslern slope. Adrian Pertl, Michael Matt, Dominik Raschner, Simon Rueland, Eduard Hallberg and Lucas Braathen didn’t come for the powder snow and perfectly groomed pistes. Instead, each of them completed up to six slalom runs to prepare as thoroughly as possible for their race on 25 January.
Carinthian racer Adrian Pertl in particular has fond memories of the Ganslern. In 2020, starting with bib number 73 (!), he finished eighth and even led the standings briefly during the second run. At the moment, however, he is going through a difficult spell. “And it’s precisely at times like these that you like to look back and remember how great it feels to be up front and sitting in the leader’s chair,” he says. Even though he has yet to record a result this season, he always looks forward to training: “Because I want to improve and finally be back in the mix.”
Lucas Pinheiro Braathen has an even longer personal connection to Kitzbühel, as his father lived there for several years. “It’s one of the first places where I ever skied,” he recalls. For the Norwegian, the Ganslern is tradition in its purest form: “You feel with every single turn that you’re skiing on a legendary course. Every run, every training session here is a privilege.” He was impressed by the conditions eleven days before the race: “The course is very consistent – something we don’t often get on the World Cup circuit. The snow is a bit drier and you immediately feel how it reacts. That really helps me.”
Dominik Raschner hopes the course will become even more compact by race day. He was satisfied with his runs: “I just need to believe in myself, then I tend to make fewer mistakes than when I ski too cautiously.” Finland’s Eduard Hallberg described the session as “really good”. Although the course was not as icy as it would be during the race, he still considered the session “a privilege”. Or, as Simon Rueland put it more succinctly, simply “so cool”. The Tyrolean made his World Cup debut on the Ganslern back in 2017 – albeit a short one: “I tried the first edge at full speed and took too much risk.” A mistake he’s determined not to repeat on 25 January.
Tickets for the Slalom are available here.
Photo © K.S.C./shootmeup, KSC/alpinguin
