Alpine skier Markus Foser starts No. 66 and wins in Val Gardena

memorable

December 17, 1993: Markus Foser from Liechtenstein, starting No. 66, won his first and only race as the Saslong race in Val Gardena became faster. A World Cup victory. To date, this is the win with the most starts at a Ski World Cup.

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Along with Wengen and Kitzbühel, skiing from Val Gardena is a highlight of the ski season. On the legendary 3,446-metre-long Saslong piste, technical skills are required on mountain walls, camel humps, Ciaslat meadows and steep finish slopes.

If you want to win, you also have to be a good glider. 80% of routes are not very demanding. Marc Girardelli once said of the Saslong: “If it's cold, you might break a bone. But if there's snow on it, you'll fall asleep on the road.”

Saslong and the omnipresent Langkofel (Sasso Lungo).Image: Wikipedia

Time and time again, legendary upheaval creates wonders. The 3181-meter-high Dolomite peak Sassolungo is responsible for this phenomenon. The rocks tower above the track, providing athletes with sun protection most of the time. At first the top is in the light, then the sun moves behind the Sassolungo and shines on the Ciaslat meadows with its difficult curves and many bumps.

Good views of this key passage are a significant advantage. But since thermals also occur when the snow warms, it's usually the wind that turns the race into a lottery. Just like the first of two downhills at Saslong in 1993.

Favorite Ortlieb has been interviewed by the winner

The favorite is Patrick Ortlieb, who won the Olympic downhill title in Albertville in 1992 but has yet to win a World Cup title. The 26-year-old Austrian dominates at will in training and is also very quick in games. He started No. 13 and set a clear new best time.

Confident of victory – when the best downhill skiers were still assigned the first 15 starting numbers – Ortlieb was once again defying career defeat as five-time World Cup overall champion Marc Girardelli (Ortlieb) already had his first interview in the end zone. Set a new best time with a starting number of 30.

The surprise at the end was huge, but far from it. Swiss ski legend Marie-Thérèse “Mette” Nadig, who was Liechtenstein's coach at the time, already had her doubts. «I congratulate you. But Mark won't win. ” the two-time Olympic champion in 1972 told Ghirardelli’s father and coach on the sidelines.

Nadig is right. Due to changes in sunlight and shorter start intervals, the route becomes faster and faster, especially in the upper parts. First, Austrian player Werner Franz broke Girardelli's best result with number 52, and later Nadig's disciple Marcus Fauser (Markus Foser) was driving the best race of his life. He started in number 66, took the lead, and ended up celebrating his first World Cup victory completely out of the blue.

Fother crossed the finish line in the fastest time.Image: YouTube

Fosse's best World Cup finish to date is 24th. “When the stars who started earlier were on the road, I was still sitting in the hotel watching the race on TV. “I never thought about winning,” he said at the finish line, immersed in the joy of victory. “Until I brought When No. 66 appeared at the starting area, I heard that the gradient had become faster, so I started to think about this issue. “

Victory in Val Gardena was the only highlight of his career

Fosse won with a flawless drive and was the fastest of the winners. Drivers with starting numbers 49, 56, 58, 64 and 65 also finished in the top 15. The Liechtensteiner knows who he has to thank besides the change in weather. «Maite Nadig helped me not only technically but also personally. I attribute this win to her. ” said the winner with a big smile on his face, while the remaining ski cracks in the hotel licked their wounds.

After his great coup, Marcus Fausser will never be on the World Cup podium again.Image: trapezoid

A day after his biggest win, Fother confirmed he was no flash in the pan. Under normal circumstances, the 26-year-old finished 12th on the second downhill at Saslong, but Fosse was denied another World Cup victory. He also never finished on the podium again in his career. In 1995, he again narrowly missed out with a fourth-place finish.

After playing just 40 World Cup games, the Liechtenstein player ended his career in the 1996/97 season. His victory in Val Gardena remains the biggest start at a Ski World Cup, and his name is a specter of fear for anyone who flashed a premature smile of triumph in the Saslon finish area.

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