The Alpine Ski World Cup is set to return to La Thuile in the Autonomous Region of Valle d’Aosta, with the challenging "Number 3 Franco Berthod" slope hosting a Downhill and two Super-G races. This marks the third occasion that women will compete at the Italian ski resort, following events in 2016 and 2020.
The La Thuile stage will be the last before the World Cup Finals, which will take place immediately afterward in Sun Valley.
The 2016 inaugural edition was an instant hit, highlighting three remarkable races that displayed the world's top speed skiers. Shortly after, La Thuile was selected to host a rescheduled Downhill event that had been previously canceled at Crans Montana.
The February 2020 edition will be remembered not only for the races but also because it coincided with the emergence of the then-unknown COVID-19 pandemic, which would soon impact the entire world. That year, only the Super-G was completed, as overnight snowfall led to the cancellation of the Alpine Combined, resulting in the Crystal Globe for the discipline being awarded to local Aosta Valley skier Federica Brignone.
La Thuile’s third time in the Alpine Ski World Cup comes after another five years of waiting.
La Thuile (ITA)
March 13th Downhill / Women 11:00 CET (canceled)
March 14th Super-G / Women (replaces St. Moritz) 11:00 CET
March 15th Super-G / Women 11:00 CET (moved to Thursday the 13th)
The 3-Franco Berthod slope is one of the steepest slopes in Italy, and one of the most challenging in the entire World Cup circuit. Since the first edition, athletes have praised and appreciated it for its characteristics and technical difficulty. It reaches a maximum gradient of 76% in the Grand Muret section, just a few seconds after the initial push of the Downhill race. Some skiers have compared it to the women’s Kitzbühel, also due to the snow conditions, often very hard and icy, especially in March.
Racecourse facts:
Start Elevation: 2227 m (Downhill) / 2075 m (Super-G)
Finish Elevation: 1520 m
Vertical Drop: 707 m (DH) 555 (Super-G)
Length: 2100 m (DH) 1500 (Super-G)
Max. slope: 76 %
Average slope: 31 %
On February 2020, in the last race held in La Thuile, Nina Ortlieb celebrated her first World Cup victory with a win in the Super-G. The win for Nina Ortlieb, daughter of 1992 Olympic Downhill champion Patrick Ortlieb, came one week after she earned her first podium result, finishing third in a Downhill in Crans Montana.
Federica Brignone, who was racing on her home track finished a mere one-hundredth of a second from the top step of the podium. Corinne Suter crossed the finish line in third place.
1. Nina Ortlieb (AUT)
2. Federica Brignone (ITA)
3. Corinne Suter (SUI)
1. Tina Weirather (LIE)
2. Lara Gut (SUI)
3. Lindsey Vonn (USA)
1. Nadia Fanchini (ITA)
2. Lindsey Vonn (USA)
3. Daniela Merighetti (ITA)
1. Lara Gut (SUI)
2. Cornelia Huetter (AUT)
3. Nadia Fanchini (ITA)
La Thuile is a village located in the heart of the Alps, in the Aosta Valley, framed by three Alpine giants: Mont Blanc, Grand Assaly, and the Rutor Glacier. The ski resort is included in the International Ski Area of Espace San Bernardo, an ski domain that spans Italy and France, connecting the resorts of La Thuile (Aosta Valley) and La Rosière (Savoie). A landmark for skiing enthusiasts in vast open spaces. A borderland paradise that welcomes skiers from all over the world in winter, offering 152 kilometres of slopes suitable for all types of skiers, from those taking their first steps on snow to experts, with easy, intermediate, and highly technical slopes.
There are 80 ski runs, all accessible with a single international ski pass, served by 38 modern and fast ski lifts, with a total capacity of 63,200 people per hour.
The highest point of the ski area is Mont Valaisan, at 2,800 metres, reachable by two modern chairlifts from both the French and Italian sides via Belvedere (2,650 metres). From these points, the 360-degree view of the peaks is breathtaking and unique.
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