On Friday, Val Gardena/Grödena will write a small piece of ski history: With the men's super-G, the 100th World Cup race will be held at the foot of the Sassolungo/Langkofel. Matthieu Bailet from France will open the anniversary race.

Bailet will be the first of 61 skiers to take to the Saslong at 11:45 am. The French - along local hero Dominik Paris from nearby Ulten, who with bib 5 wants to make amends for his failed performance in the downhill - does not belong among the closest group of favorites.

The hottest contenders in the fight for the day's victory follow immediately behind Paris: Marco Odermatt, the seventh racer in line, won the first super-G of the season in Lake Louise. With second place in the downhill on Thursday, the Swiss skier showed that he is also competent on the Saslong. Downhill winner Vincent Kriechmayr will leave the start house with bib 8. The Austrian is also expected to do well in the super-G, as he won the super-G in 2019 and climbed onto the podium again last year in third place.

Top favorite Aleksander Aamodt Kilde follows with bib number 10. The defending champion from Norway won the last two super-Gs on the Saslong and already has a super-G victory this season. Third, in the shortened downhill, Matthias Mayer from Austria will tackle the super-G with bib 11. The three-time Olympic champion must also be on the cards - in Val Gardena/Gröden, he has already been on the super-G podium twice as second and third.

While Dominik Paris will make his second appearance in Val Gardena/Gröden at the start of the race, the rest of the South Tyroleans will have to be patient before they get their chance: Veteran Christof Innerhofer from Gais has bib 29, Florian Schieder from Kastelruth bib 50.

The entire starting list for the super-G is available here.