Despite a massive effort by organizers and officials, the second of two Audi FIS Ski Cross Alps Tour competitions slated for Val Thorens was cancelled on Saturday due to persistent snow, fog, and wind.

With more than 30cms of snow blanketing the course over night and steady snowfall throughout the day in the lead-up to the scheduled start time, teams of slippers and colour crews were forced to fight Mother Nature with all their resources. Unfortunately, on Saturday it was a losing battle.

FIS ski cross race director Martin Fiala praised the efforts of all hand who were striving to make Saturday's competition a success.

"FIS would like to thank the organizers and volunteers in Val Thorens for their hard work and determination today," said Fiala, "Though we were not able to overcome today's challenges, Val Thorens has proven once again this week why it is one of the premier ski cross venues in the world. Now we look forward to the next stage of the Cross Alps Tour in Arosa (SUI), and to returning to Val Thorens once again next season."

The programme in Val Thorens had already undergone one change when the first of the two races, originally scheduled for Friday, was moved forward one day to Thursday to accommodate for the forecasted storm that would eventually lead to Saturday's cancellation. In hindsight, that decision proved to be the correct one, as there is a very real possibility there would have been no competition at in Val Thorens without that move.

Due to the compact nature of the 2017 Cross Alps Tour schedule, there is little possibility of a rescheduling of the Val Thorens race at one of the other three Cross Alps Tour venues this December. However, other options for making up today's cancelled competition will be explored in the coming days.

The next stage of the 2017 Cross Alps Tour will take place in Arosa (SUI) on Tuesday, December 12, with an exciting nighttime sprint format competition slated to get underway under the lights at 20:15 CET. Qualifications will take place on Monday, December 11, at 17:30.

Source: fis-ski.com