MINISTÈRE DES AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES ET EUROPEENNES
No. 49 - December 2008
Winter 2008/2009: French skiing is flying high!
Preparations for the season's big events are well under
way in France's winter sports resorts. France is getting ready to
launch the festivities, hosting the cross-country skiing World
Cup on 6 and 7 December in La Clusaz in Haute-Savoie. The
highlight of the winter season, however, will undoubtedly be the
organisation of the downhill skiing World Championships in
Val d'Isère, in Savoie, in February 2009. Sporting rivalries,
international encounters, the joys of skiing and a festive
atmosphere will all be the order of the day.
France has some fabulous ski areas and the people who
manage the country's winter sports resorts make it a point of honour
to organise the most beautiful and spectacular events they can
throughout the season. Some events are particularly eagerly
awaited, such as the downhill skiing World Championships, which
will take place on the slopes of Val d'Isère and Tignes from 2 to 15 February 2009. This will be the
first time France has hosted this major international competition since 1968 when it was held in
Grenoble. Almost 250,000 visitors are expected during the two weeks of this very high-level
competition.
The event's organising committee has worked hard to ensure that it fulfils three commitments:
organising a unique sporting spectacle, offering free and unfettered access for the many spectators
expected and protecting the environment.
For one symbolic euro, ski enthusiasts will be able to take a special train from Lyon to Bourg
St Maurice. Free shuttle buses will then be provided to take them on to the resorts of Val d’Isère and
Tignes. The aim is to ensure that as many spectators as possible can take part in this great shared
festival of skiing.
Environmental protection is also being taken into account. Buildings, for example, will be
heated using biomass systems and methods of transport such as hybrid buses and 100% electric snow
scooters will be available.
The competition site will combine two of the most beautiful massifs in France's ski areas:
Solaise, which will be reserved for the women, and Bellevarde, which will be mainly devoted to the
men and the new Nations competition. There will be some mixing of the genders on the Bellevarde
massif, however, which will host the women's slalom competitions.
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But it's not just about sport. Theatre companies and brass bands will be filling the snowy streets
of Val d’Isère with joyous sounds, whilst visitors to the square where the tourist office is located will
have a chance to taste the soup of 2009, created by Guy Martin, chef at the Grand Véfour restaurant in
Paris. Once night falls, the fun will really start, with moonlit skiing, festive dances and spectacular
firework displays just some of the entertainment on offer.
France is now ranked fifth in the world in downhill skiing, having moved up two places in the
last year. "France needs to field strong teams in both the men's and women's competitions. There is an
unquestionable sense of momentum and we ought to be able to be amongst the top three countries
worldwide," says Alain Méthiaz, president of the French Ski Federation.
On 6 and 7 December 2008 France will also be hosting a new round of the cross-country skiing
World Cup in La Clusaz, at the superb Les Confins Nordic skiing resort. This major international
competition has become an essential event in the sporting calendar in France and the countries of
northern and central Europe. Thirty countries will be represented and over 20,000 spectators are
expected to be thrilled by the exploits of the world's top cross-country skiers. On the agenda:
individual and team events with over 180 athletes competing, including local boy Vincent Vittoz, the
leading light in French cross-country skiing and the French team. "You need to be able to ski at a
certain level to take part. Quotas are put in place based on the level of the best skiers in each country,"
explains Stephane Vittoz, director of the La Clusaz sports club. He adds that "some of the most well
represented countries include Norway, Russia, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Finland and of course France,
followed by the Czech Republic, Kazakhstan, Poland, the United States and Switzerland."
Dynamic and sports-oriented, La Clusaz is a multi-faceted resort that still manages to preserve
its original charm. Since 1985 it has hosted no fewer than 18 World Cups and three World
Championships in cross-country skiing. The five massifs in the ski area boast exceptional natural
snowfall bolstered by artificial snow, meaning that skiers of all levels can enjoy all kinds of skiing,
from cross-country to freestyle, right through to the end of April.
France has seven mountainous areas: the Southern Alps, the Massif Central, Isère, the Vosges,
the Jura, the Pyrenees and Savoie Mont-Blanc, which together represent 30% of Europe's ski areas and
two-thirds of which are located in Savoie and Haute-Savoie. These two departments, which joined
forces at the end of 2006 to brand themselves as Savoie Mont Blanc, combine some of the world's
most renowned resorts and ski areas. With a 7.1% market share, Savoie Mont Blanc and its 110 ski
resorts are the top winter destination for the French. Its many attractions are just as much of a draw for
foreign holidaymakers of all nationalities, with the British, Scandinavians and visitors from the
Benelux countries leading the way.
Annik Bianchini
Websites:
www.savoie-mont-blanc.com: Savoie Mont-Blanc
www.valdisere2009.org: 2009 Ski World Championships (Val d'Isère)
www.tourisme-haute-savoie.com: 2008 Cross-Country Skiing World Cup (La Clusaz)
www.maison-de-la-france.com: Maison de la France
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