Snowboard Cross racing for two days in a row is a new experience for the participants of the 2000/2001 Nokia Snowboard FIS World Cup. Facing nice conditions today, riders had fun competing which made for really exciting race today. As expected, those who missed top spots in yesterday's race put everything they had into today's comp while the winners tried even harder to hold on. And some may have stayed at the party tent maybe a bit too long...
Swedish rider Pontus Stahlkloo not only looked unbeatable but proved it today with a hat trick, claiming his third win in a row. Just like yesterday, none of his rivals could beat him.
"Racing was not the same as yesterday," Stahlkloo said, "the further you got, the tighter it became. I felt confident when I won the qualification but you had to be in the lead and as long as I was there I did not doubt I'd make it. Some riders were maybe disappointed with yesterday's results or just too happy, so it was tighter - I am glad I made it again," he said.
Markus Ebner from Germany is not known as a Snowboard Cross specialist but finished 2nd today.
"I was happy with fifth place yesterday and did not even think about doing better," he said, "the alpine disciplines are my main focus so it is unbelievable that I made it to second place. I went to Kreischberg to compete in the slalom but then decided to do the snowboard cross also, just for fun..."
Austria's Werner Ebenbauer was the one to give the host country its only medal today by finishing 3rd. "That is great," he said, "and for me the main thing was that they changed the start command. It had the right rhythm and was consistent, so we all felt better up there. The start is one of my advantages and that is so important in Snowboard Cross. I did not do the inspection run this morning since I knew the course from yesterday but it was just much faster today," Ebenbauer said.
Alexander Maier, younger brother of Austria's alpine ski racer Hermann "The Herminator" Maier took 4th place. In the quarterfinals he had looked like he was knocked out but due to the disqualification of two Frenchies he advanced. In the semifinals, Maier was also behind but advanced when his teammate Alexander Koller and Sweden's Jonas Aspman crashed.
"It was confusing," Maier said. "And in the final heat I could make it up after a bad start, passed Werner and got close to the others — too close because I almost crossed Markus' board and slipped away..."
Stahlkloo keeps the Snowboard Cross World Cup lead with Joni Vastamaki still chasing him — the Finn took 6th place today. Alexander Koller from Austria is still in 3rd but after breaking his collarbone after a crash in the semifinals, he ended up eighth today.
In women's racing, it appears two friends, German Sandra Farmand and France's Karine Ruby, seem to fight against, and at the same time fight for, each other. With Farmand winning today, the two have now alternated in claiming wins twice.
"We agreed upon that prior to the season," Farmand said, "but we also wanted to have the other one of us sitting in second place so we still have to work on that one... It was great that we knew the course and I really attacked in sections where I did not think it was possible yesterday."
Ruby had to leave 2nd place to her teammate Emmanuelle Duboc and lost the World Cup lead to Farmand. "I would have loved to wear it for more than one day only," Ruby said, "but I got the other two in alpine and I will try my best to get it back."
Austria's Ursula Fingerlos came in 4th and was upset since she had expected a bit more from a race in front of her home crowd. "I could have been so much better," she said, "especially because it was even more fun riding today. However, I got a big round of applause when I kept sliding down the hill after a crash."
Farmand claimed the yellow leader bib while Ruby dropped back to 2nd ahead of Fingerlos, who moved up from 4th to 3rd place.
Head-to-head racing will be on again tomorrow when the season's second Parallel Slalom will conclude the Kreischberg event.
— Britta Semmler, MountainZone.com Correspondent
