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World Cup Shorts…. From Adelboden

Rainer Schoenfelder has described his race in Adelboden as better than all the wins in his career. Schoenfelder, who has been struggling recently with injuries and is now the oldest man in the Slalom field, made the second run for the first time this season in the Slalom. With a high rate of attrition from the first run, Schoenfelder managed to qualify in 29^th spot and then used the clean course to his full advantage by posting the fastest second run time and move up to 14^th spot overall. The last time that the maverick Austrian made it to the second run was in Levi in 2009.

After his second run, Schoenfelder managed to get hold of the microphone in the finish area and gave the crowd a quick song…. You can take man out of Petzen but …

40,500 people made their way up the hill in Adelboden for the racing over the weekend. On the way up on Saturday we passed 91 busses yet a measly 19 on the Sunday for the Slalom. Does this mean that Giant Slalom has more appeal that Slalom or is this caused by the fact that just three Swiss racers were on the start list for the Slalom, just two would make it to the second run – 2006 winner Marc Berthod could only finish 40^th on the first run.

Next up for the GB Team? Racer Ready has learned that TJ Baldwin will be racing at Kitzbuehel but not in the downhill, just in the Super G.  Kitz is a tough call for any racer on their first trip to Kitz and this is a good call in giving him the start. With Dougie Crawford out for the season it seems, Baldwin has the sole World Cup start locked down for the time being. Baldwin will be at Chamonix for the World Cup weekend that will see them pick up the Val Gardena race as well as the Super Combined. It was the Super Combined last year that saw Ed Drake score his first World Cup Points so hopefully Baldwin will be able to match this as well.

It is not sure what the programme for David Ryding on the Slalom tour is. When we spoke in Zagreb he was keen to do more but also keen to lower his FIS points so that he had a better start in the World Cup racers. A better start means more chance of making the top thirty and making some World Cup points!