by InTrieste
After a 15-year absence, women’s Alpine skiing’s fastest disciplines return this weekend to the Julian Alps, as Tarvisio hosts two races of the Audi FIS Ski World Cup on the demanding Di Prampero course.
On Saturday, January 17, the world’s top downhill specialists will contest the women’s downhill, followed on Sunday by the Super-G. The event marks the first World Cup stop in Friuli Venezia Giulia since 2011 and comes just weeks before the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, giving the races added competitive and symbolic weight.
The competition is being organized by the Friuli Venezia Giulia regional government through PromoTurismoFVG, in cooperation with the International Ski Federation (FIS), the Italian Winter Sports Federation (FISI), the Municipality of Tarvisio and local tourism bodies from the Tarvisiano, Sella Nevea and Passo Pramollo areas.
A Week of Racing in the Mountains
Teams began arriving in the Valcanale region on Wednesday, January 14, when accreditation and technical meetings got underway at Tarvisio’s Julius Kugy Cultural Center. Official training runs on the Di Prampero slope are scheduled for Thursday and Friday, allowing athletes to familiarize themselves with one of Italy’s most challenging speed courses before the weekend’s races.
The downhill will begin at 10:45 a.m. on Saturday, with the Super-G following on Sunday at 11:15 a.m.
A Strong International Field
A total of 57 athletes from 17 nations are expected to compete, bringing together the leading figures of women’s speed skiing.
Among the most anticipated names is Lindsey Vonn, the American champion whose career is closely linked to Tarvisio. Vonn won the Super-G here in both 2009 and 2011, and those victories were part of seasons in which she also captured multiple World Cup discipline titles and, in 2009, the overall World Cup crown. Her return has revived memories of some of the most celebrated moments in the course’s history.
Italy will be led by Sofia Goggia, currently second in the Super-G standings behind New Zealand’s Alice Robinson. She will be joined by Laura Pirovano, third in the discipline rankings, and Elena Curtoni, who also raced on the Di Prampero during its previous World Cup appearances.
The field also includes several of this season’s leading performers, among them Germany’s Emma Aicher, Austria’s Cornelia Hütter, Norway’s Kajsa Vickhoff Lie, Austria’s Mirjam Puchner, France’s Romane Miradoli, the Czech skier Ester Ledecká, Switzerland’s Jasmine Flury, Slovenia’s Ilka Štuhec and Germany’s Kira Weidle-Winkelmann.
Managing Crowds and Transport
With grandstand tickets already sold out, local authorities have introduced special traffic and parking measures around the Monte Lussari cable car and Camporosso, the main access point to the finish area. Several streets will be restricted to authorized vehicles, and designated parking areas (P1 and P1 bis) have been set aside for spectators.
A shuttle service will connect Camporosso with the Tarvisio Boscoverde railway station during the race days, providing an alternative for visitors arriving by train. Access to the grandstands will open at 9:30 a.m. on both race days, and seating is unassigned, meaning places will be taken in order of arrival.
More Than Just Racing
The World Cup weekend is also designed as a broader cultural and entertainment event. On Thursday evening, January 15, the Julius Kugy Cultural Center will host a screening of Mission Mt. Mangart, a documentary by Chris Anthony, the American extreme skier and filmmaker known for blending alpine exploration with storytelling.
After Saturday’s downhill race, the finish area will host an outdoor après-ski event organized by the Italian radio station RTL 102.5, followed by the official prize-giving ceremony and the draw for Sunday’s Super-G start numbers. A final celebration will close the weekend after the Super-G on Sunday.
A Digital Guide for Spectators
To help visitors navigate the event, PromoTurismoFVG has launched a new WhatsApp-based chatbot, “FVG Ski World Cup,” offering real-time information about races, transport, schedules and services. The system allows users to interact directly through WhatsApp without installing additional apps, reflecting a growing effort to integrate digital tools into the management of large sporting events.
As the world’s fastest women skiers prepare to attack the Di Prampero once again, Tarvisio is positioning itself not only as a host of elite competition but also as a gateway to the Julian Alps ahead of the Olympic spotlight that will soon turn to northern Italy.
