Six days before the 2010 Olympic Games will kick off in Vancouver, the world's best race boarders will meet one more time at Sudelfeld. At the sole World Cup stop on German soil, the season's sixth parallel giant slalom of the 2010 LG Snowboard FIS World Cup will take place on February 6th. It's the last chance for the carving cracks to competitively check if they have the right shape for the up-coming major event.
At the sole race on home turf it's taken for granted that all German athletes, who will represent the colours black-red-gold at the olympic races taking place February 26th and 27th, will enter the competition. Besides top favourite for victory and 2009 Parallel World Cup title holder Amelie Kober, who finished as runner-up at Sudelfeld last year, Selina Joerg and Anke Karstens will start. In addition, Isabella Laboeck, who came in seventh, two times fifth and tenth in the last four races, is also keen to make it on the podium in her home country.
On the men's side, Germany's hopes are pinned on Patrick Bussler. The 2009 World Championships Bronze medallist aims for his second podium finish in his 71st World Cup start.
The international field competing with those five 2010 Olympians is mainly from Europe. The ladies of the German snowboard federation have to face current World Cup leader Fraenzi Maegert-Kohli from Switzerland as well as Nicolien Sauerbreij (NED) and Alena Zavarzina (RUS), who both sit in second and third position in the race for the Crystal Globe. Also Austria's Marion Kreiner, Claudia Riegler and Doris Guenther, who claimed victory at Sudelfeld last winter, are not to underestimate. 
On the men's side, Benjamin Karl is once again the man to beat. The reigning 2009 Parallel Slalom World Champion from Austria dominated the last alpine race in Stoneham, Quebec. His team mate Andreas Prommegger finished as runner-up. But "Prommi" has some good memories of the World Cup slope in Bavaria: in 2009 he celebrated his career's second World Cup triumph. In addition, France's two-times Silver medallist of the last World Championships Sylvain Dufour, his countryman Mathieu Bozzetto and another veteran from Switzerland, Simon Schoch, are aiming for a top result.
Find last year's top-3 at Sudelfeld here:
Ladies
- Doris Guenther (AUT)
- Amelie Kober (GER)
- Nicolien Sauerbreij (NED)
Men
- Andreas Prommegger (AUT)
- Matthew Morison (CAN)
- Sylvain Dufour (FRA)
STAY CONNECTED
