On next Sunday, 26.10.2008, the Alpine Ski World Cup of men starts into the new season. First race is the giant slalom in Sölden (Austria). All together 36 races are planned this year, with the following subdivision: 9 Downhill, 6 Super-g, 8 Giant slalom, 10 Slaloms, 3 Super-combinations. There still there comes the “old” Combination of Kitzbühel.
Very important this season is the
Alpine Ski World Championship in Val-d'Isère from the 3rd to the 15th of February, 2009. The most important race of the world championship is probably the downhill of men on the "La face de Bellevarde". The dress rehearsal in February of this year had to be called off (bad weather).
Back to the Alpine World Cup. For most athletes the win of the World Cup has the biggest priority, because here not the day form, but the performance decides on a whole season away. The big crystal trophy honours the best skier of a season. In last winter
Bode Miller (USA) won with 1409 points the Alpine Ski World Cup. On the places 2 and 3 followed Benjamin Raich (AUT) with 1298 points and the Swiss racer Didier Cuche with 1263 points.
View of the season 2008/09. Miller, Raich and Cuche also count this year again to the circle of the candidates to win the World Cup. However, the big favorite is another:
Aksel Lund Svindal. The Norwegian racer already decided in the season 2006/07 the World Cup for itself and was also the last winter the big favorite. However, a heavy fall in the training to the downhill in Beaver Creek was synonymous with the seasonal end. This year Svindal wants to come back. For many experts he is the top favorite.
What says the Bookies? Continuously Svindal is seen as the big favorite. The best odd on a victory of the Norwegian is at the moment on Mybet with odd 3,00.
As the hardest opponents are valid Benni Raich and Bode Miller. Sportingbet pays for a victory of Raich or Miller in each case 4,50.
Very interesting is the odd for Hermann Maier. The "Herminator" could win the last season no race, and, hence, is this year only a crass outsider. Bet365 offers for a World Cup victory of Hermann Maier the odd of 76,00.
Alpine Ski World Cup: Race calendar men, Season 2008/09
25.10.08 - 26.10.08 Sölden (Austria) GS
15.11.08 - 16.11.08 Levi (Finland) SL
29.11.08 - 30.11.08 Lake Louise (Canada) DH / SG
04.12.08 - 07.12.08 Beaver Creek (USA) DH / SG / GS / SC
13.12.08 - 14.12.08 Val d'Isere (France) GS / SL
19.12.08 - 20.12.08 Gröden (Italy) DH / SG
21.12.08 - 21.12.08 Alta Badia (Italy) GS
28.12.08 - 28.12.08 Bormio (Italy) DH
06.01.09 - 06.01.09 Zagreb (Croatia) SL
10.01.09 - 11.01.09 Adelboden (Switzerland) GS / SL
16.01.09 - 18.01.09 Wengen (Switzerland) DH / SL / SC
23.01.09 - 25.01.09 Kitzbühel (Austria) DH / SG / SL / K
27.01.09 - 27.01.09 Schladming (Austria) SL
30.01.09 - 01.02.09 Garmisch-P. (Germany) DH / SL
03.02.09 - 15.02.09 Alpine Ski World Championship 2009 Val d'Isere (France)
21.02.09 - 22.02.09 Sestriere (Italy) GS / SC
28.02.09 - 01.03.09 Kranjska Gora (Slovenia) GS / SL
07.03.09 - 08.03.09 Kvitfjell (Norway) DH / SG
11.03.09 - 15.03.09 Are (Sweden) DH / SG / GS / SL
DH…Downhill
SG…Super-G
GS…Giant slalom
SL…Slalom
SC…Super-Combination
K…Combination
World Cup winners since 1990:
1990: Pirmin Zurbriggen (Switzerland)
1991: Marc Giradelli (Luxembourg)
1992: Paul Accola (Switzerland)
1993: Marc Giradelli (Luxembourg)
1994: Kjetil André Aamodt (Norway)
1995: Alberto Tomba (Italy)
1996: Lasse Kjus (Norway)
1997: Luc Alphand (France)
1998: Hermann Maier (Austria)
1999: Lasse Kjus (Norway)
2000: Hermann Maier (Austria)
2001: Hermann Maier (Austria)
2002: Stephan Eberharter (Austria)
2003: Stephan Eberharter (Austria)
2004: Hermann Maier (Austria)
2005: Bode Miller (USA)
2006: Benjamin Raich (Austria)
2007: Aksel Lund Svindal (Norway)
2008: Bode Miller (USA)
