After two delays to the start for the second run and dropping the start down to the reserve start, it was an easy call for the race organisers to make in cancelling the second run of the Women's World Cup Giant Slalom in Semmering.
Semmering is located just 60 miles south south of Vienna and situated in the Neunkirchen region of Lower Austria. While winds were expected, it was the power of these winds that did not allow the race to happen.
After having announced the decision, Peter Gerdol, the FIS race director, announced that the race will be replaced on the calendar but now is not the time to say when. There were so many interests to take into account that it will be a long discussion: Television, slope and hotel availability, space on the racing calendar, getting the sponsors in place and so on. Just because the race has happened in Austria, does not mean that the replacement race will take place in Austria, as much as they would like.
Gerdol explained that the winds were over 60 miles an hour in the finish area and this made things very dangerous. The wind is expected to drop off, he continued, during the night and the finish area will be rebuilt in time for the slalom race that is happening in the afternoon and evening.
Austria have races already scheduled in for St Anton, a downhill and Super G 7 - 10 January 2021, followed by a slalom in Flachau on January 12 but it could well be that the race goes to Jasna in Slovakia after the World Championships in February.
Ther next Giant Slalom races are a double GS scheduled for Maribor in Slovenia, 16 - 17 January, but it is unlikely that FIS would sanction a triple header GS down the same slope.
Maribor has not been a great hunting ground for Tilley on the World Cup though she has won a FIS slalom there in 2015. In 2019, the last time the World Cup visited Maribor, Tilley finished in 42nd on the first run in the Giant Slalom as Petra Vlhova beat Mikaela Shiffrin.
For those racers that did not qualify for the second run in Semmering, this is a 'Get out of Jail card' as the race will not count towards their positions either on the World Cup Start List or on the points tally for the World Cup. Semmering has not been a happy hunting ground for Quinn Estates sponsored racer, Alex Tilley, as she has yet to make the second run there. Rescheduling the race elsewhere will certainly get the thumbs up from her!
The first run had seen Petra Vlhova take the lead ahead of Marta Bassino with Michelle Gisin in third ahead of Mikaela Shiffrin and Sara Hector. Alex Tilley had finished in 33rd, 0.17 off making the second run.
As they say, tomorrow is another day and the new day brings with it a Slalom. No Charlie Guest racing as she is isolating after one of her bubble caught the virus and she will not be racing until after Zagreb. Tilley will start bib 41 for the day night race.