Vitranc Cup

Vitranc Cup
From the first Vitranc Cup (1961)
Information
Slovenian:	Pokal Vitranc
Debut:	4–5 March 1961
Disciplines:	slalom, giant slalom
Member:	Club5+
Editions:	61
Most wins
Total:	Marcel Hirscher (6x)
Giant slalom:	Ted Ligety (5x)
Slalom:	Benjamin Raich (4x)
World Cup events
Total:	80
Men:	79
Women:	1
Current course
Name:	"Podkoren 3"
Opened:	1 December 1983
Max. incline:	30.5° degrees (59%)
Min. incline:	10.2° degrees (18%)
Architect:	Peter Lakota
Full cancelation
5–times:	1974, 1976, 1981, 2000, 2020

Vitranc Cup (Slovenian: Pokal Vitranc) is an annual FIS Alpine Ski World Cup competition, held since 1961 in Kranjska Gora, Upper Carniola, Slovenia.

For Giant slalom, Kranjska Gora is considered one of the three most prestigious and challenging locations in the world, along with Adelboden and Alta Badia.

This competition is the successor of the "Bukovniški smuk" (Bukovnik Downhill), "kamikaze dowhnill" race first held in Kranjska Gora in 1949. ^[1]

History

1961: First edition

On 4 March 1961, the first ever Vitranc Cup event was held on an extremely demanding and steep giant slalom course from the top of the Vitranc mountain. The event was also known as "hara-kiri with acceleration". ^{[2] [3] [4]}

1962: Event not scheduled at all

In 1962, for the only time in history, the competition did not meet the schedule at all, because the Yugoslavian Ski Federation office in Belgrade simply forgot to send the application to the International Ski Federation (FIS). ^[5]

1968: World Cup debut

On 10 March 1968, the Vitranc Cup (Kranjska Gora) hosted the first ever World Cup alpine ski event in Slovenia (also Yugoslavia at the same time). The Slalom was won by the French skier Patrick Russel. ^[6]

1982: Record attendance

On 20 March 1982, Bojan Križaj was the first Slovenian to win the World Cup at the home ground in front of a record crowd of 32,000 people. This record hasn't been broken yet at alpine skiing events in Slovenia, and it beat the record set at Ingemar Stenmark's event. ^{[7] [8]}

1983: New permanent course opened

On 29–30 January 1983, the Vitranc Cup competition was, for the last time, held on an old steep course above the old gas station, before moving to a new and now permanent course in nearby Podkoren, still in use today.

On 1–2 December 1983, the competition was, for the first time, held and permanently moved to the new "Podkoren 3" course nearby, constructed and designed by ex Slovenian skier Peter Lakota. The women's competition was held first, the next day was the men's race. It was the first and only time in history when Slovenia hosted the World Cup opening race for both men and women. This was also the first and only time when women competed for the Vitranc Cup. ^{[9] [10] [11]}

1985: Petrovič won in front of a home crowd

On 21 December 1985, Rok Petrovič celebrated the 2nd of his five World Cup career wins in his career, dominating the season, in front of a home crowd of 30,000 people. ^{[12] [13]}

1986: Double Slovenian win

On 20 December 1986, then Slovenian sports icons Bojan Križaj and Petrovič achieved a double Slovenian win, beating 3rd placed Ingemar Stenmark. ^[14]

Vitranc Cup Top 3 results

Men

Edition	Season	Date	Event	Winner	Second	Third
↓ FIS 1A International ↓
1st	1960/61	4 March 1961	GS	Josef Stiegler	Joseph Behr	Helmut Gartner
		5 March 1961	SL	Ernst Falch	Josef Stiegler	Helmut Schranz
2nd	1962/63	2 March 1963	GS	Georges Mauduit	Robert Grunenfelder	Jean-Claude Killy
		3 March 1963	SL	Josef Stiegler	Jean-Claude Killy	Hias Leitner
3rd	1963/64	29 February 1964	GS	Jean-Claude Killy	Willy Favre	Beat von Allmen
		1 March 1964	SL	Michel Arpin	Franz Digruber	Ernst Scherzer
4th	1964/65	27 February 1965	GS	Edmund Bruggmann	Felice De Nicolo	Michel Arpin
		28 February 1965	SL	Michel Arpin	Franz Digruber	E. Maudit
5th	1965/66	19 February 1966	GS	Werner Bleiner	Guy Périllat	Karl Schranz
		20 February 1966	SL	Guy Périllat	Karl Schranz	Ludwig Leitner
6th	1966/67	11 March 1967	GS	Eberhard Riedel	Ernst Scherzer	Harald Stüfer
		12 March 1967	SL	Alain Blanchard	Andrzej Bachleda	Patrick Russel
↓ FIS International ↓
7th (1)	1967/68	9 March 1968	GS	Stefan Kälin	Stefan Sodat	Enrico Demetz
↓ FIS World Cup ↓
7th (2)	1967/68	10 March 1968	SL	Patrick Russel	Franz Digruber	Stefan Kälin
8th	1968/69	16 February 1969	GS	Reinhard Tritscher	Alfred Matt	Franz Digruber
		17 February 1969	SL	Edmund Bruggmann	Alain Penz	Herbert Huber
9th(1)	1969/70	21 January 1970	GS	Dumeng Giovanoli	Patrick Russel	Georges Mauduit
↓ FIS International ↓
9th(2)	1969/70	22 January 1970	SL	Peter Frei	Hans Bjorge	Dumeng Giovanoli
10th	1970/71	20 February 1971	GS	Sergio Filippo	N. P. Pouteil	Jean Louis Ambroise
		21 February 1971	SL	Gérard Bonnevie	N. P. Pouteil	Hubert Berchtold
↓ FIS Europa Cup ↓
11th	1971/72	4 January 1972	GS	Werner Mattle	Alain Penz	Sepp Heckelmiller
		5 January 1972	SL	Andrzej Bachleda	Alain Penz	Rick Chaffee
12th	1972/73	6 January 1973	GS	Gustav Thöni	Helmuth Schmalzl	Hansi Hinterseer
		7 January 1973	SL	Claude Perrot	Gustav Thöni	Alfred Matt
13th	1973/74	10 January 1974	GS	cancelled due to lack of snow
		11 January 1974	SL
↓ FIS World Cup ↓
↓ see ↓	1974/75	20 December 1974	GS	lack of snow; rescheduled to 13–14 April 1975 (see 14th edition)
↓ FIS International ↓
14th	1974/75	13 April 1975	GS	F. Fernández Ochoa	Manfred Brunner	Herbert Plank
		14 April 1975	SL	F. Fernández Ochoa	Mauro Bernardi	Johann Kniewasser
↓ FIS Europa Cup ↓
15th	1975/76	11 January 1976	SL	Andreas Arnold	Bartl Gensbichler	Jorge García
↓ FIS World Cup ↓
16th	1976/77	21 December 1976	SL	high temperatures; replaced at Laax (3 January 1977)
↓ FIS International ↓
17th	1977/78	21 December 1977	GS	Mauro Bernardi	Hans Enn	Bojan Križaj
		22 December 1977	SL	Anton Steiner	Mauro Bernardi	Manfred Brunner
↓ FIS World Cup ↓
18th	1978/79	21 December 1978	SL	Ingemar Stenmark	Paul Frommelt	Leonardo David
		22 December 1978	GS	Ingemar Stenmark	Peter Lüscher	Bojan Križaj
↓ FIS International ↓
19th	1979/80	14 December 1979	GS	Bojan Križaj	Bruno Nockler	Boris Strel
		15 December 1979	SL	Bojan Križaj	Piero Gros	Bruno Nockler
↓ FIS World Cup ↓
20th	1980/81	28 March 1981	GS	lack of snow and high temperatures; replaced the same day at Laax
21st	1981/82	19 March 1982	GS	Phil Mahre	Hans Enn	Marc Girardelli
		20 March 1982	SL	Bojan Križaj	Ingemar Stenmark	Franz Gruber
22nd	1982/83	29 January 1983	GS	Hans Enn	Max Julen	Ingemar Stenmark
		30 January 1983	SL	Franz Gruber	Stig Strand	Michel Canac
23rd	1983/84	2 December 1983	SL	Andreas Wenzel	Petar Popangelov	Paul Frommelt
24th	1984/85	15 February 1985	GS	Thomas Bürgler	Pirmin Zurbriggen	Marc Girardelli
		16 February 1985	SL	Marc Girardelli	Ingemar Stenmark	Paul Frommelt Jonas Nilsson
25th	1985/86	20 December 1985	GS	Joël Gaspoz	Roberto Erlacher	Hubert Strolz
		21 December 1985	SL	Rok Petrovič	Jonas Nilsson	Thomas Stangassinger
26th	1986/87	19 December 1986	GS	Joël Gaspoz	Roberto Erlacher	Richard Pramotton
		20 December 1986	SL	Bojan Križaj	Rok Petrović	Ingemar Stenmark
27th	1987/88	19 December 1987	GS	Helmut Mayer	Pirmin Zurbriggen	Hubert Strolz
		20 December 1987	SL	Alberto Tomba	Richard Pramotton	Günther Mader
28th	1988/89	17 December 1988	SL	Marc Girardelli	Armin Bittner	Alberto Tomba
29th	1989/90	6 January 1990	GS	cancelled and later replaced at La Villa (14 January) [15]
		7 January 1990	SL	Armin Bittner	Bernhard Gstrein	Paul Accola
30th	1990/91	21 December 1990	GS	Alberto Tomba	Urs Kälin	Marc Girardelli
		22 December 1990	SL	Ole Kristian Furuseth	Thomas Fogdö	Thomas Stangassinger
31st	1991/92	4 January 1992	GS	Sergio Bergamelli	Hans Pieren	Alberto Tomba
		5 January 1992	SL	Alberto Tomba	Armin Bittner	Finn Christian Jagge
32nd	1992/93	19 December 1992	SL	Thomas Fogdö	Alberto Tomba	Peter Roth
		20 December 1992	GS	Marc Girardelli	Lasse Kjus	Fredrik Nyberg
33rd	1993/94	8 January 1994	GS	Fredrik Nyberg	Matteo Belfrond	Tobias Barnerssoi
		9 January 1994	SL	Finn Christian Jagge	Ole Kristian Furuseth	Thomas Fogdö
34th	1994/95	6 January 1995	GS	Alberto Tomba	Mitja Kunc Harald Strand Nilsen
35th	1995/96	21 December 1995	GS	Lasse Kjus	Michael von Grünigen	Mario Reiter
		22 December 1995	SL	Alberto Tomba	Jure Košir	Sébastien Amiez
36th	1996/97	5 January 1997	GS	Michael von Grünigen	Siegfried Voglreiter	Kjetil André Aamodt
		6 January 1997	SL	Thomas Sykora	Sébastien Amiez	Thomas Stangassinger
37th	1997/98	3 January 1998	GS	Christian Mayer	Hermann Maier	Michael von Grünigen
		4 January 1998	SL	Thomas Sykora	Pierrick Bourgeat	Thomas Stangassinger
38th	1998/99	5 January 1999	GS	Patrick Holzer	Christian Mayer	Hans Knauß
		6 January 1999	SL	Jure Košir	Thomas Stangassinger	Benjamin Raich
39th	1999/00	21 December 1999	SL	Didier Plaschy	Benjamin Raich	Thomas Stangassinger
40th	2000/01	20 December 2000	GS	lack of snow; replaced in Bormio (21 December)
		21 December 2000	SL	lack of snow; replaced in Madonna di Campiglio (19 December)
41st	2001/02	21 December 2001	GS	Benjamin Raich	Bode Miller	Didier Cuche
		22 December 2001	SL	Jean-Pierre Vidal	Mario Matt	Ivica Kostelić
42nd	2002/03	4 January 2003	GS	Bode Miller	Christian Mayer	Sami Uotila
		5 January 2003	SL	Ivica Kostelić	Rainer Schönfelder	Jean-Pierre Vidal
43rd	2003/04	28 February 2004	GS	Bode Miller	Alberto Schieppati	Alexander Ploner
		29 February 2004	SL	Truls Ove Karlsen	Tom Stiansen	Mario Matt
44th	2004/05	26 February 2005	GS	Benjamin Raich	Hermann Maier	Kalle Palander
		27 February 2005	SL	Giorgio Rocca	André Myhrer	Benjamin Raich
45th	2005/06	21 December 2005	GS	Benjamin Raich	Massimiliano Blardone	Thomas Grandi
		22 December 2005	SL	Giorgio Rocca	Thomas Grandi	Ted Ligety
46th	2006/07	3 March 2007	GS	Benjamin Raich	François Bourque	Massimiliano Blardone
		4 March 2007	SL	Mario Matt	Benjamin Raich	Manfred Mölgg
47th	2007/08	8 March 2008	GS	Ted Ligety	Manfred Mölgg	Massimiliano Blardone
		9 March 2008	SL	Manfred Mölgg	Ivica Kostelić	Marcel Hirscher
48th	2008/09	28 February 2009	GS	Ted Ligety	Didier Cuche	Massimiliano Blardone
		1 March 2009	SL	Julien Lizeroux	Giuliano Razzoli	Felix Neureuther
49th	2009/10	30 January 2010	GS	Marcel Hirscher	Kjetil Jansrud	Ted Ligety
		31 January 2010	SL	Reinfried Herbst	Marcel Hirscher	Julien Lizeroux
50th	2010/11	5 March 2011	GS	Beat Feuz	Erik Guay	Michael Walchhofer
		6 March 2011	SL	Mario Matt	Nolan Kasper Axel Bäck
51st	2011/12	10 March 2012	GS	Ted Ligety	Alexis Pinturault	Marcel Hirscher
		11 March 2012	SL	André Myhrer	Cristian Deville	Alexis Pinturault
52nd	2012/13	9 March 2013	GS	Ted Ligety	Marcel Hirscher	Alexis Pinturault
		10 March 2013	SL	Ivica Kostelić	Marcel Hirscher	Mario Matt
53rd	2013/14	8 March 2014	GS	Ted Ligety	Benjamin Raich	Henrik Kristoffersen
		9 March 2014	SL	Felix Neureuther	Fritz Dopfer	Henrik Kristoffersen
54th	2014/15	14 March 2015	GS	Alexis Pinturault	Marcel Hirscher	Thomas Fanara
		15 March 2015	SL	Henrik Kristoffersen	Giuliano Razzoli	Mattias Hargin
55th	2015/16	5 March 2016	GS	Marcel Hirscher	Alexis Pinturault	Henrik Kristoffersen
		6 March 2016	SL	Marcel Hirscher	Henrik Kristoffersen	Stefano Gross
56th	2016/17	4 March 2017	GS	Marcel Hirscher	Leif Kristian Haugen	Matts Olsson
		5 March 2017	SL	Michael Matt	Stefano Gross	Felix Neureuther
57th	2017/18	3 March 2018	GS	Marcel Hirscher	Henrik Kristoffersen	Alexis Pinturault
		4 March 2018	SL	Marcel Hirscher	Henrik Kristoffersen	Ramon Zenhäusern
58th	2018/19	9 March 2019	GS	Henrik Kristoffersen	Rasmus Windingstad	Marco Odermatt
		10 March 2019	SL	Ramon Zenhäusern	Henrik Kristoffersen	Marcel Hirscher
59th	2019/20	14 March 2020	GS	cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
		15 March 2020	SL
60th	2020/21	13 March 2021	GS	Marco Odermatt	Loïc Meillard	Stefan Brennsteiner
		14 March 2021	SL	Clément Noël	Victor Muffat-Jeandet	Ramon Zenhäusern
61st	2021/22	12 March 2022	GS	Henrik Kristoffersen	Lucas Braathen     Marco Odermatt
		13 March 2022	GS	Henrik Kristoffersen	Stefan Brennsteiner	Marco Odermatt
62nd	2022/23	11 March 2023	GS	Marco Odermatt	Alexis Pinturault	Henrik Kristoffersen
		12 March 2023	GS	Marco Odermatt	Henrik Kristoffersen	Alexis Pinturault
63rd	2023/24	9 March 2024	GS	cancelled due to rain and warm temperatures
		10 March 2024	SL
64th	2024/25	1 March 2025	GS
		2 March 2025	SL

Women

At the start of the season, women for the first and only time in the history of this competition, raced for the "Vitranc Cup". ^[16]

Edition	Season	Date	Event	Winner	Second	Third
↓ FIS World Cup ↓
1st	1983/84	1 December 1983	SL	Erika Hess	Tamara McKinney	Małgorzata Tlałka

Substitute events

Kranjska Gora replaced 6 cancelled men's events from other countries, which aren't considered Vitranc Cup events:

• 4 Mar 2016 – Henrik Kristoffersen won the Friday additional giant slalom. Venue replaced: Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER). ^[17]
• 29 Jan 2010 – Ted Ligety won the Friday additional giant slalom. Venue replaced: Adelboden (SUI). ^[18]
• 20 Dec 2001 – Fredrik Nyberg won the Friday additional giant slalom. Venue replaced: Aspen (USA). ^[19]
• 8 Mar 2000 – Christian Mayer won the extra giant slalom. Venue replaced: Adelboden (SUI). ^{[20] [21]}
• 6 Jan 1990 – Jonas Nilsson won the Saturday additional slalom. Venue replaced: Madonna di Campiglio (ITA). ^[22]
• 3 Jan 1986 – Joël Gaspoz won the extra giant slalom. Venue replaced: Borovets (BUL). ^[23]

Multiple winners

With at least two wins or more.

Total	Skier	SL	GS
6	Marcel Hirscher	2	4
5	Ted Ligety	0	5
	Alberto Tomba	3	2
4	Benjamin Raich	4	0
	Henrik Kristoffersen	1	3
	Bojan Križaj	3	1
3	Marc Girardelli	2	1
2	Josef Stiegler	1	1
	Michel Arpin	2	0
	Francisco Fernández Ochoa	1	1
	Ingemar Stenmark	1	1
	Thomas Sykora	2	0
	Bode Miller	0	2
	Giorgio Rocca	2	0
	Mario Matt	2	0
	Ivica Kostelić	2	0
	Joël Gaspoz	0	2

Club5+

In 1986, the elite Club5 was originally established by 5 prestigious and classic downhill organizers: Kitzbühel, Wengen, Garmisch, Val d’Isère and Val Gardena/Gröden, with the goal to bring alpine ski sports to the highest levels possible. ^[24]

Later, over the years, other classic long-term organizers joined the now renamed Club5+: Alta Badia, Cortina, Kranjska Gora, Maribor, Lake Louise, Schladming, Adelboden, Kvitfjell, St.Moritz and Åre. ^[25]

References

1. "Vitranc memories" (in Slovenian). Delo. 23 February 2011.
2. "Official results from first ever Vitranc Cup event (GS 1961)" (PDF) (in Slovenian). pokal-vitranc.com. 4 March 1961.
3. "Prvi zmagovalec avtrijec Stiegler (page 15)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 5 March 1961.
4. "Fotografski utrinki iz veleslaloma (page 11)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 5 March 1961.
5. "Od morilskega smuka do poligona" (in Slovenian). Dnevnik. 23 October 2012.
6. "Slalom Russelu" (in Slovenian). Delo. 11 March 1968.
7. "V finišu svetovnega pokala Križaj zmagal na Vitrancu" (in Slovenian). Delo. 11 March 1968.
8. "V panju Vitranca se je tudi Stenmark počutil kot Slovenec" (in Slovenian). MMC RTV Slovenija. 2 March 2011.
9. "Osemnajsti svetovni pokal začenjajo danes tekmovalke (page 6)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 1 December 1983.
10. "Erika Hess nenadkriljiva v strmini.... (page 9)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 2 December 1983.
11. "Ponovil se je nesrečni januar 1983... (page 5)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 3 December 1983.
12. "Nepozaben smučarski praznik v Kranjski Gori (stran 1)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 23 December 1985.
13. "Petrovič junak tudi v domači Kranjski Gori(stran 9)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 23 December 1985.
14. "Naša nepozabna slalomska dneva (page 9)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 22 December 1986.
15. "Sijajni Avstrijci, naš Robič 13" (in Slovenian). Delo. 15 January 1990.
16. "Smer: Kranjska Gora (page 9)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 28 November 1986.
17. "Žan Kranjec v finale s 16. časom, vodi Francoz Pinturault" (in Slovenian). ekipa.svet24.si. 4 March 2016.
18. "Ted Ligety je zmagal v Kranjski Gori, Slovenci so razočarali" (in Slovenian). Dnevnik. 29 January 2010.
19. "Za 41. Pokal Vitranc vse pripravljeno (page 12)" (in Slovenian). Gorenjski glas. 18 December 2001.
20. "Kranjskogorčani željni dokazovanja (page 6)" (in Slovenian). Gorenjski glas. 7 March 2000.
21. "Rada imava slovenski sneg (page 23)" (in Slovenian). Gorenjski glas. 10 March 2000.
22. "Sobotna tekma je bila povsem naša, z Madonno pa jo je povezal zmagovalec" (in Slovenian). Delo. 8 January 1990.
23. "Bela karavana se je sešla, kjer se je decembra razšla (page 6)" (in Slovenian). Delo. 3 January 1986.
24. "Srečko Medven predsednik elitnega združenje (page 9)" (in Slovenian). Naše novice. June 2010.
25. "Club5+ workshop in Adelboden". saslong.org. 23 October 2021.

External links

• Official website