Christof Innerhofer is not very confident about the coming racing days in Val Gardena. © Pentaphoto (2)

Innerhofer writes off the Saslong: “Not much is possible for me”

The first downhill training in Val Gardena is over. There will be another practice run on Wednesday before the long racing weekend begins with a downhill run. What do the protagonists say about this year's Saslong?

12 December 2023

From: pm/sn

The first test drives in Val Gardena have been completed. Another training session is scheduled for Wednesday. This was brought forward from 11.45:10.30 a.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX a.m. because the weather forecast is not good. Read what the athletes around Christof Innerhofer had to say after Tuesday's training here.

Aleksander Aamodt Kilde (2nd place): “The snow is coming pretty quickly this year. It's pretty easy on the slopes and the jumps are relatively long. I assume that the conditions will change if it snows. Some jumps may also need to be touched up. All in all, the route is in very good condition – as is always the case here in Val Gardena. There are many favorites for the races with Marco Odermatt, Vincent Kriechmayr and the extremely strong US boys, and I also include myself among them.”

dominik paris (9th place): “I really like the Saslong this year. Everything is a little faster than usual, so I think a few passages still need to be edited. Now, of course, a lot depends on the weather and how the slope develops between now and the races. If the conditions stay like this, it could be very exciting this year, as the conditions will also suit other athletes. In recent years there have often been conditions in which the Norwegians and Americans are simply a class above the rest. Now we Italians can possibly also be counted on.”

Impressive: Dominik Paris on the Saslong.

Florian Schieder (16th place): “My ride today was pretty okay up to the Ciaslat, but unfortunately I lost the thread a bit afterwards. The surface is better than expected and the jumps are high and wide - I hope this is the same in the races. After the good results last season, the pressure on me personally is higher than it was a year ago and more people are coming here because of me in the next few days. That’s why it’s even more important to give everything we can so as not to disappoint the fans.”

>>>1. Training in Val Gardena: The report.<<

Christoph Innerhofer (30th place): “My ride was definitely not good. I tinkered around a bit and took a longer ski, but I couldn't get along with it. If the conditions remain as they were today, one or two surprises are possible during the races. However, since snowfall is forecast, the snow will probably be more aggressive or duller and the slope will therefore be slower. If I then also take a look at my current time, not much is possible for me personally.”