Adelboden is one of the quaintest mountain resorts you will come across. The World Cup comes calling in early January and this year the race organisers moved heaven to make sure that there was enough snow on the course. ... With balmy weather way above the usual temperature, the fact that two races were actually put on was testament to the hard work put in. This was something that was not lost of Marcel Hirscher as he celebrated winning in the Swiss hills for a third year in a row. Hirscher pushed first run leader down to fourth with Andre Myhrer taking second and young gun Henrik Krsitoffersen third.
This could be the turning point of the season as Hirscher has now wrestled back control of the Slalom World Cup (from Mario Matt who skied out today) and the Overall (from Aksel Lund Svindal, who did not race in the Slalom). Despite the mixture of the army of helpers on the course and the chemicals to try and keep the slope in good race shape meant that with each passing racer, the course deteriorated. A huge number of racers crashed out on the first run, including David Ryding, and five of the thirty racers dropped off the leader board in the second run; Ligety being one.
The hill is a mix of a long flat section at the top and then it drops down into a steep pitch down to the finish. It is this sight that is one of the iconic sights in World Cup ski racing and if you are looking to go to a race to experience that passion and emotion, this is one that is strongly recommended. The transition from the flat to the steep causes all kinds of problems.
Patrick Thaler did his chances of making the flight to Sochi with a tremendous performance that almost saw him hit the podium, he eventually finished sixth.
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