La_face_de_Bellevarde

La face de Bellevarde

La face de Bellevarde

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La face de Bellevarde is a World Cup downhill ski course in France, on Rocher de Bellevarde mountain in Val d'Isere, Savoie; it debuted at the 1992 Winter Olympics with the men's downhill.[1][2][3]

More information Downhill, Giant slalom ...

It is only about two kilometres (1.2 mi) kilometres up the road from "Piste Oreiller-Killy" in La Daille, another legendary course with a lengthier World Cup tradition.

With 17.8 degrees (32.1%) incline it is the world's steepest giant slalom course in average gradient, with no flat sections, only steepness the whole time.

History

The course was developed for the 1992 Winter Olympics, designed by Swiss Olympic downhill champion Bernhard Russi, a respected constructor of downhill slopes around the world. The official opening was planned for late 1991 with two World Cup events, but the course was not yet finished. Both were moved to the nearby Oreiller-Killy course, and held on 7–8 December.[4]

The Bellevarde course was officially opened two months later at the Olympics with the men's downhill competition; later events on the slope included combined, super-G, and giant slalom.

Near the end of 1992, the World Cup circuit premiered on this course with Super-G and slalom events on 6–7 December; the downhill was cancelled due to poor weather conditions.[5][6] In February 2008, World Cup races returned after an absence of more than fifteen years; it became a regular host on the men's calendar, rarely exchanged with Oreiller-Killy.

A year later in February 2009, Val d'Isere hosted its first World Championships. All of the men's events and the women's technical events (GS, SL) were held on the Bellevarde slope; the team event was cancelled.

Course sections from GS start

  • Passage de la Rute, Le Rocher, Slalom Start, Le Stade Olympique, La Flamme

Olympics

Men's events

More information Event, Type ...
The slalom was held at Les Menuires on 22 February.

World Championships

Men's events

Bernhard Russi (SUi);
the course constructor
More information Event, Type ...

Women's events

More information Event, Type ...
The downhill, super-G, and combined events were held at Piste Rhône-Alpes.

Team event

Poor weather conditions.

More information Event, Type ...

World Cup

It is part of traditional annual "Critérium of the First Snow" (Critérium de la première neige) competition.

Men

La face de Bellevarde
Location in France
La face de Bellevarde
Location in Europe
Marcel Hirscher (AUT) won
record 4 giant slaloms in total
and record 3 slaloms in total
More information No., Type ...

 Not in original World Cup calendar. It replaced super combined from Beaver Creek. 

References

  1. [1]
    "SKI ALPINFace de Bellevarde, la montagne sacrée" (in French). .ledauphine.com. 30 January 2008.
  2. [2]
    "La face de Bellevarde à Val d'Isère, championne des championnats" (in French). ledauphine.com. 16 February 2016.
  3. [3]
    "List of all events on La face de Bellevarde". fis-ski.com. 2 November 2021.
  4. [4]
    "Bellevarde was not yet ready for competition (page 40)" (in Norwegian). Stavanger Aftenblad. 7 December 1991.
  5. [5]
    "Trojni spored v Val d'Iseru je ogrožen (page 7)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 5 December 1992.
  6. [6]
    "Val d'Isere 1992: Thomas Fogdoe" (in Slovenian). YouTube. 8 December 2010.

45°26′47″N 6°58′21″E
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