Brit’ Musgrave Clinches 16th In Davos Whilst Ryding Struggles In Val d’Isere
British Nordic’s Andrew Musgrave pulled out another top-20 performance yesterday at the Cross Country World Cup in Davos as he claimed 16th place in the 15km Free.
Over in Val d’Isere, Delancey British Alpine Ski Team athlete Dave Ryding battled heavy snow conditions to finish in 19th position after the second run.
At the opening Moguls World Cup in Ruka, Max Willis claimed a solid 25th place in his return to top level moguls competition, with Thomas Gerken Schofield 44th and sister Makayla Gerken Schofield 32nd in the Ladies event.
This week sees the British Ski Cross team in action in the Cross Alps Tour in Arosa and Montafon, whilst the British Snowboard Cross team head to Val Thorens for their first Northern Hemisphere World Cup of the season. Whilst over in the States, five of the GB Park and Pipe team will compete in the prestigious Dew Tour in Breckenridge.
FIS Cross Country World Cup – Saturday 9 & Sunday 10 December – Davos SUI
At the third World Cup in as many weeks for the British Nordic team, Andrew Musgrave had the stand out performance of the weekend, finishing 16th in the 15km Free (Skate) in Davos yesterday.
Musgrave said after the race: ‘I started off a bit hard today and paid the price on the last lap. I am a bit disappointed with 16th place, but have another couple of distance races coming up to make up for it.”
Andrew Young clocked the best British result in Saturday’s Sprint, finishing in 43rd place, followed by 67th in the 15km Free. “I always like racing in Davos” said Young. “I didn’t go that fast but felt good and it’s always fun to do a distance race.”
FIS Alpine World Cup – Sunday 10 December – Val d’Isere FRA
It wasn’t Dave Ryding’s day yesterday at the Slalom World Cup in Val d’Isere. In heavy snow, Ryding was lying in 15th place after the first run, and couldn’t improve on that in the second run, falling down into 19th place.
“I know it was the same for everybody” said Ryding, “but I just couldn’t see, there was so much snow coming off the poles. I really struggled with the visibility and I couldn’t ski the way I wanted to ski.”
Ryding’s next World Cup Slalom is on Friday 22nd December in Madonna di Campiglio under the floodlights.
Elsewhere, British Alpine Team athlete Laurie Taylor proved that he is in great form, taking two wins at the FIS Slalom races in Kuehtai on Friday and Saturday. The two wins mean he has now claimed three victories in FIS races over the last two weeks.
Jack Gower also had another great Nor-Am result in Lake Louise, finishing in 24th position in the Super G on Friday. This followed his 18th place in the Downhill last Tuesday.
Gower will now head to Panorama, Canada for a set of Nor-Am races. Unfortunately, today’s Super G has been postponed, but racing is due to run all week.
FIS Moguls World Cup – Saturday 9 December – Ruka FIN
In the first Moguls World Cup of the season, British athlete Max Willis made an impressive comeback to competitive moguls, claiming 25th position in Ruka. After a run of unfortunate injuries, it had been nearly three years since the 24 year-old’s last major competition, but now fully recovered, Willis is making his comeback onthe World Cup circuit.
Siblings Makayla and Thomas Gerken-Schofield were also in action, competing in their first ever Moguls World Cup. 19-year-old Thomas finished in 44th place with 18-year-old Makayla finishing in 32nd position in the Ladies competition.
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS
FIS Ski Cross World Cup – Monday 11 & Tuesday 12 December – Arosa SUI
FIS Ski Cross World Cup – Thursday 14 & Friday 15 December – Montafon AUT
Ladies’ Ski Cross – Emily Sarsfield, Pamela Thorburn, Liz Stevenson, Emma Peters
None of the British squad managed to progress to the knockout races in Val Thorens last week however they get a quick shot at redemption in Arosa this evening. Liz Stevenson did not race in France but will this week join Emily Sarsfield and Pamela Thorburn as they take on the Swiss track in a night-sprint event.
Emma Peters is then set to make her first World Cup start when the 16-day Cross Alps Tour heads to Montafon on Thursday, accompanied by Sarsfield and Thorburn.
FIS Snowboard Cross World Cup – Tuesday 12 to Wednesday 13 December – Val Thorens FRA
Ladies’ Snowboard Cross – Zoe Gillings-Brier, Maisie Potter
It’s been more than three months since the Snowboard Cross World Cup kicked off in Argentina back in September, and the riders are ready launch into the next three events in the space of 11 days.
First stop is Val Thorens where three-time Olympian Zoe Gillings-Brier will be hoping to carry through some strong form from November when she placed fifth in a Europa Cup race in Pitztal. She has raced World Cups in 15 different countries over 16 years however this will be her first race at this level in France. Gillings-Brier has nearly 40 World Cup top-tens to her credit including one win and five other podiums.
British Snowsports Fund grant recipient Potter raced her first World Cup event less than a year ago. She produced her best World Cup result at Cerro Catedral in September when she placed 21st, missing the knockout races by eight-tenths of a second.
Dew Tour – Wednesday 13 to Sunday 17 December
Ski Slopestyle – James Woods & Izzy Atkin
Ski Halfpipe – Rowan Cheshire, Madi Rowlands & Murray Buchan
Five GB Park and Pipe skiers are heading to Breckenridge in the USA to compete in the prestigious Dew Tour. Wednesday sees the qualifiers for the Men’s and Women’s Halfpipe with finals on Friday. For Ski Slopestyle, qualifiers are on Thursday and finals on Saturday.
