The Audi FIS Ski World Cup in Val Gardena will include three races this year. On Thursday, 15th December, in fact, a downhill race will replace the race cancelled in Beaver Creek (USA).

With this rematch race, the 55th Saslong Classic, scheduled on the last weekend before Christmas, will get into action in 10 days' time. As it is tradition, then, the Super-G will take place on the Gardena home mountain on Friday, 16th December. Finally, the South Tyrolean World Cup classic will end with the downhill on Saturday, 17th December. Training sessions have been scheduled for Tuesday, 13th and Wednesday, 14th December, while the first captains' meeting will be held on Monday, 12th December.

"Of course, we are sorry that our friends from Beaver Creek were not able to carry out their entire racing programme. We want to thank the FIS, the FISI Italian Winter Sports Federation and the rights holder Infront for their trust. We are happy to host a third men’s race on the Saslong for the first time," Rainer Senoner, president of the Organising Committee Saslong Classic Club, said in a first-minute statement.