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News
15.09.2022

Christian Ziörjen: “And then the question of snow will definitely come up at some point”

Ski fans still have 45 days to wait for the first cross-border World Cup race in history: the Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening. Behind the scenes, work on the inaugural race has been feverish for months. Why OC boss Christian Ziörjen is not panicking despite the current snow situation, why he is so enthusiastic about his team's commitment and what he can tell us about the build-up in Zermatt and Cervinia: we reveal all in the following interview.

News
29.08.2022

Zermatt tickets now available

In exactely two months, the Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening will celebrate its premiere: on 29/30 October and 5/6 November 2022, the speed specialists will compete in the first cross-border race in the history of the Alpine Ski World Cup. Tickets for this World Cup premiere are now available in the new Swiss-Ski webshop.

News
14.07.2022

Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening: success through innovation

There are just over 100 days to go until the first cross-border race in the history of the Alpine Ski World Cup: the Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening. On 29/30 October and 5/6 November 2022, downhill athletes will compete for the first time at the season opener in Zermatt/Cervinia. The organisers are keen to extend the innovative spirit of this bi-national event across the race concept.

News
24.06.2022

Launch of World Cup Ticket Pre-Sale!

Ski fans now have the unique opportunity to purchase tickets for the «Matterhorn Cervino Speed Opening» in Zermatt/Cervinia. Zermatt Tourism enables guests to book an all-inclusive package for the inaugural staging of the cross-border World Cup races. Availability is limited and can be booked via www.zermatt.ch/weltcup.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

© Keystone

The first cross-border Ski World Cup races in the history of the World Cup will be held on the «Gran Becca» course.

The initiator and one of the driving forces behind this unique project is Franz Julen (pictured here on the left with course builder Didier Défago).

For Didier Défago, it is important to design a course that is equally attractive for the riders and the spectators. On the «Gran Becca», the athletes reach a maximum speed of 135km/h.

Former ski racer, downhill Olympic champion and multiple world champion Pirmin Zurbriggen is ambassador and advisor to the Speed Opening: «The World Cup races in Zermatt and Cervinia are a dream come true.»

Didier Défago, 2010 Olympic downhill champion and designer of the «Gran Becca» race course, explains the course layout to media representatives.

In the face of the world-famous Matterhorn, a total of four downhill races take place - two each for the men and two for the women.

On 29 and 30 October, two men's downhill races are on the programme, and on 5 and 6 November, the women prove themselves in the supreme discipline.

The Matterhorn Cervinia Speed Opening thus opens the speed season and enables the speed athletes to start the season a month earlier than before.