A preview of the World Ski Championships with the European Cup slaloms

As has been the case for many years, the European Cup made a stop on the Haut-Plateau a few days before the arrival of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. This year, two men’s slalom races were on the programme. The races were held on the lower section of the Mont Lachaux course, with a start at the top of the Toboggan and a finish in the Barzettes Stadium. This same course will host the men’s and women’s slalom events of the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Crans-Montana 2027.

With nearly 100 athletes at the start across the two races, the start lists featured regular European Cup competitors as well as athletes already well established on the World Cup circuit. Among them was Armand Marchant, who started and won the first slalom on Tuesday. Shortly after securing his first World Cup podium, second place in the Gurgl slalom in Austria, the Belgian skier took advantage of his presence in Switzerland between the Adelboden and Wengen races to discover this slalom on the Mont Lachaux course. “It was an opportunity to train in real race conditions on this course ahead of the World Championships. It’s a very beautiful track, with steep terrain from start to finish. It promises a great spectacle, especially for the spectators, who can see almost the entire race from the grandstands,” he explained.

Results, European Cup slalom, Tuesday 13 January

1. Armand MARCHANT (BEL)

2. Sandro SIMONET (SUI)

3. Hans GRAHL-MADSEN (NOR)

4. Jesper POHJOLAINEN (FIN)

5. Antoine AZZOLIN (FRA)

Results, European Cup slalom, Wednesday 14 January

1. Antoine AZZOLIN (FRA)

2. Auguste AULNETTE (FRA)

3. Tommaso SACCARDI (ITA)

4. Joel LUETOLF (SUI)

5. Ralph SEIDLER (AUT)

Photos: Deprez-Dubuis