Two-wheelers can expect police checks
Police in Switzerland step up preventive actions when the weather turns warm and bikers take to the road and particularly to winding mountain roads (photo, Valais Alps)
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – Police in canton Vaud are repeating what they say was a successful preventive project a year ago, to alert motorcyclists to dangers over the Easter weekend.
Police teams will be visibly out in a number of areas to encourage motorcyclists to give their bikes safety checks and to openly discourage them from using stretches of road that are popular with bikers for racing.
Eight motorcyclists lost their lives on Vaud roads in 2011 and six were caused by the motorcycle drivers, statistics released in late March show.
The dates and places where police say they will be very much in evidene:
Friday 6 April, Nyon route Blanche and La Givrine route de St-Cergue
Saturday 7 April, Ste-Croix route de Mauborget and Col du Mollendruz
Sunday 8 April, Château d’Oex route de l’Etivaz and Col des Mosses
Monday 9 April, Crissier rue du Timonet and RC Lausanne-Vevey Sous-Dézaley.
Didier Cuche announcing his decision to retire from World Cup skiing at age 37 (image: TSR television))
BERN, SWITZERLAND – Swiss ski star Didier Cuche, who was named Swiss Person of the Year earlier this week by thousands of television viewers, announced Thursday afternoon that he will retire from the sport at the end of this season.
The 37-year-old’s decision came as no surprise.
But Cuche is not just one of the oldest skiers on the world circuit, he’s been a fixture and a winner for the past 10 years. The announcement was made at Kitzbuehl in Austria, where one of the toughest downhills of the season will take place Saturday. Cuche won it last year, making him, at age 36, the oldest winner of a World Cup event.
The Neuchatel skier was emotional during his press conference but said his weak performance in Wengen last weekend did not play a role in his decision. “You don’t make a decision based on a single race,” he said, but noted that he was distracted by the sense that he needed to make a decision. “i had this gut feeling that the time had come.”
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Julien Bill, 28, won the world MX3 Motocross world title Sunday in France, putting in a stellar performance that left the competition in the dust for the top of class. MX3 has replaced the older 500 cm3 and is the third league of Motocross, after the MX1 and MX2, home to the big bike manufacturers.
Bill’s passion for the bikes started at age 6. After school he studied languages and speaks four fluently, an interest that has paralleled his world travels as a Motocross racer.
Links to other sites: MPora on Bill, official Julien Bill site, TSR (Fr)
International sports, cycling
Andy SCHLECK - Cadel EVANS - Frank SCHLECK ©Presse Sports/B.Papon
PARIS, FRANCE – Australian Cadel Evans won the Tour de France, edging out the Schleck brothers in the time trial on the penultimate day.
British rider Mark Cavendish won the final sprint along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées for the third time in a row and also became the first Briton to win the green jersey for the top sprinter.
Evans is the first Australian to win the Tour, and at 34 is the oldest winner since the second world war.
The Luxemburg Schleck brothers took the next two places, with Andy 1 minute 34 seconds back and Frank another minute behind.
French rider Thomas Voeckler, who wore the yellow jersey for much of the race, was fourth and last year’s winner Alberto Contador fifth.
Links to other sites: Le Tour de France, Telegraph, Guardian
Bern, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Nineteen drivers were hauled in by Fribourg police and 14 of their souped-up cars were seized in an operation that came to light in part thanks to YouTube videos the young men made of their exploits. The drivers, aged 18 to 27, raced regularly on stretches of autoroute between Fribourg and Bulle, in particular on the Givisiez semi-autoroute and the A12.
Police noticed, starting in early 2010, that several drivers were using Givisiez and A12 stretches as racetracks, driving at speeds of up to 190 kph.
They made their first arrest 28 July 2010. The 28-year-old driver admitted to taking part in races and to making videos posted on YouTube where he recorded his speeds. He had been arrested in March 2010 when he was involved in an accident on the A12, driving 190 kph, which resulted in damages but no injuries.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Weather: glorious. Snow: not bad, inching up to good. Competition: some good shows on for spectators.
Topping the list this weekend, though, is surprisingly good snow reports from the Jura.
It’s also the second and final weekend of the hot air balloon show in Chateau d’Oex (see our report last week) and the weather looks more promising than last weekend, when strong winds kept them on the ground much of the time.
Hot-air balloons over Montbovon 24 January (photo ©2011 Keepps on flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/isg-online)
We have added a photo album of the world of beautiful hot air balloons from the festival in Chateau d’Oex but also balloons drifting above Montbovon, where the weather was more cooperative last week, to set your sites a little higher.
Weather forecast for Lake Geneva region, Alps and Jura
The Swiss national weather service, MeteoSwiss, has dealt us a great hand of weather cards, with sunshine and occasional clouds in the mountains, just below freezing at night and warming up to 5-7C in most of western Switzerland.
Slightly more cloud cover and weak cold bise winds around Lake Geneva, with clouds sitting below 1,000 metres.
Swiss and neighbouring France resorts report
Jura skiing, from Shirley Curran
Jura slopes (photo: Shirley Curran)
Where is everybody? The resort web site is not exaggerating when it announces that conditions on the slopes at Crozet/Lélex are very good. We have been skiing up there every morning this week. The neige de culture combined with bitterly cold weather and first-rate slope grooming means that there is a good cover on the main slopes that are open: the chairs and telecabines and one poma lift as well as all the lifts on the Crozet nursery slopes. Above the clouds the weather is superb and the slopes have been almost empty. Who could wish for more. Well, yes, we would all like more snow, but there is enough!
Check the openings, weather and snow conditions daily at Monts Jura, where the snow was described as “excellent” Friday evening.
Swiss and French Alps, skiing
The snow cover varies hugely, from none to very thin, even at 1,700-1,800 metres in Verbier and Crans-Montana, to good in Gstaad, at 1,100 metres, but the quality of the snow in most resorts is very good, thanks to continuing cold weather. You just have to go a bit higher for the snow.
Chamonix, in neighbouring France, is hosting World Cup ski races this weekend (see Competitions, below), so expect crowds and thrills on the difficult Verte des Houches. This is the likely area for the 2018 Winter Olympics ski races if Annecy wins the bid. The resort, which is actually four, is big enough to fit everyone and every winter sport, so if you’re more interested in sending yourself down slopes than watching the experts, you have plenty of options. A year ago, in January 2010, the four main villages in the valley became a federation of communes. One result is that the ski offer is clearer, from runs and jumps for hotshots to gentler skiing if you’re a family with beginners or wobbly-on-skis guests.
Chateau d'Oex 2011 Hot-ar Balloon Festival (photo, ©2011 Mr Kio on flickr)
Chateau d’Oex should have perfect conditions this weekend for the International Hot Air Balloon festival. If you’re driving from Geneva or Lausanne you can do a nice loop via Aigle in the car, going one way over the Col des Mosses, and the other via Diableret, since both are open.
Crans-Montana is hosting the Juniors World Championshiop in skiing 29 January to 6 February, a great chance to watch the world’s next generation of ski stars. The first race is the giant slalom, Sunday, ending with the super-G next Friday and Saturday. Complete programme
Verbier has a freeride fair 29-30 January, Saturday and Sunday, and one of the features is the chance to try out new equipment.
Competitions: skiing, mountaineering, free ride, figure skating and horses
Alpine ski races: men are at Chamonix and the women are racing at Sestrières, with both on TSR in Switzerland. Didier Cuche led the men during the training runs, which were marred by the second serious accident in a week that involved an Austrian skier.
The world men’s freeride races, six thrilling events during the season, move from Chamonix to Corvatsch in Engadine-St Moritz for this weekend, before leaving Europe. The final event of the season brings them back to Verbier. The French are leading the racers in snowboard and ski after Chamonix. An interesting twist is the first-ever telemark skier joining the races.
European figure skaters finish a week of competition in Bern
Tickets are still available for Saturday and Sunday’s exhibition show in Bern, for the European figure skating championships that have been running all week, 23-30 January. Ladies’ and Men’s freestyle events are on Saturday. A British professional photographer based in Helsinki, who works with the Finnish team, has been posting a series of beautiful images on flick: Tyke Tiler.
Zurich hosts major horse show
The Rolex FEI World Cup horse jumping is on this weekend in Zurich, with the series picking up after a four-week pause. World No. 1, Kevin Staut is one of the features. Tickets are available (suggestion: combine it with a visit to the amazing Picasso exhibit, which ends Sunday) or you can watch live on FEI television.
Information posted on earlier weekend snow and winter sports: check past posts for useful general information.
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Jura slopes (photo: Shirley Curran)
Anzere Snowcross 2011 (photo ©2011, Sebastien Gaillet)
Sion, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The second leg of the Swiss snowcross (snowmobile racing on a short track) championship took place Saturday 22 January in Anzère, above Sion in canton Valais.
This was the first Anzère Snowrace and the weather was just right, say the organizers: chilly but with clear skies, so the jumps, turns and whoops held up well.
The winners were Rudy Liaudat from Chatel St-Denis (Lynx), followed by Ticino racer Biasca Tinetti Christian (Polaris). Third place went to the current Swiss champion, François Pfefferlé (Arctic Cat).
Anzere Snowcross 2011 (photo ©2011, Sebastien Gaillet)
Snowcross in Anzere 22 January (photo ©2011, Nico Zen)
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Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The lake road between Lausanne and La Tour-de-Peilz will be closed to traffic (residents excepted) Sunday from 07:30 to approximately 17:00. More than 10,000 runners are registered for the Lausanne Marathon and the road will re-open depending on when the runners finish.
The marathon itself is just one of several events that include a half-marathon and walking races.
Lausanne is the departure point but the lakefront down to La Tour-de-Peilz will be given over to the runners and police warn anyone driving in the area to use caution.
Armstrong will meet Cancellara in Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Lance Armstrong will be back in the Tour de Suisse cycling race for the first time since he won it in 2001.
The race promises to be a colourful one, with Armstrong, who won the Tour de France seven times, gearing up for the big French race after crashing out of the Tour of California in May. His crash there came just hours after former teammate Floyd Landis, who recently admitted to doping, said that Armstrong knew about and participated in the doping – charges Armstrong and several others in the cycling world strongly deny. Landis has said that Armstrong’s doping took place in 2001, when he won the Tour de Suisse race.
But the Tour de Suisse focus will more likely be on Swiss racer Fabian Cancellara, Olympic champion who promises to give a fight in the big French race. The Tour de Suisse serves as a warmup to the Tour de France for many racers.
A disappointment for the organizers of the race is that for the first time in years it will not be carried live by Swiss television stations TSR and RSI. The race dates conflict with the football World Cup, which gets television precedence. The Tour de Suisse will have to be content with an hour of daily highlights from the race, which starts 12 June in Lugano and ends 20 June in Liestal, near the German border.
Links to other sites: Tour de Suisse (Fre) preview, circuit and dates in Switzerland, Telegraph, Le Nouvelliste
Dario Cologna in Diableret, October 2009 (photo: ©2010 Swiss Ski)
Dario Cologna accepts Credit Suisse sports award in December 2009 in Basel
Vancouver, BC, Canada (GenevaLunch) - Dario Cologna captured a third gold medal for Switzerland, in the 1,500m men’s free in cross-country skiing, with a time of 33:36.3. Cologna’s wine makes Switzerland the country with the most gold medals in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Italian Pietro Piller Cottrer took silver, with a time of 34:00.9 and Lukas Bauer won bronze for the Czech Republic, finishing in 34:12.0.
The 23-year-old Cologna, from canton Graubuenden, has already made it clear, according to the Swiss Olympic Committee, that this race was just serving as a warmup for him to next Saturday’s 30km pursuit event.
Links to other site: dariocologna, Swiss Olympic Committee
Oracle, headed for a clear victory in race 1, America's Cup, 12 February (photo: BMW Oracle)
Valencia, Spain (GenevaLunch) – The water and wind were fine at last on Friday, after days of waiting for sailing conditions off the coast of Valencia to be right for the America’s Cup race to begin. But once Alinghi and Oracle put their tall sails to work, American Oracle’s trimaran dominated the race and won neatly over the Swiss catamaran, finishing eight and a half minutes ahead.
The “wing”, as Oracle’s rigid mast has become known, put in a stellar performance, as did the boat’s aggressive crewing. Alinghi’s lead at the outset, due to a stalled start on Oracle’s part, faded, and by the top mark at the end of the 20 nautical mile upwind first leg Oracle was 3 minutes 21 seconds ahead. By the end of the race Oracle’s lead had more than doubled. Alinghi was hampered by a penalty turn handed out early in the race. The Swiss boat was expected to regain time in the down wind leg, but, Sail-World reports, “it was obvious that, in the soft conditions, Alinghi was at a disadvantage.”
Alinghi held a steady pace, but that was no match for Oracle’s performance on the second, downwind leg, and Alinghi’s finish was something of a shambles.
Oracle vs Alinghi
© Chappatte, distributed by Globe Cartoon. More cartoons on Chappatte’s web site. Geneva-based Patrick Chappatte works for the International Herald Tribune, for Geneva newspaper Le Temps, and for NZZ am Sonntag. All cartoons reproduced with permission.
BMW Oracle on the water in Valencia 3 February
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – America’s Cup, the top international sailing event, may happen in Valencia after all, it appears, after months of legal battles between Alinghi and the challenger, BMW Oracle, threatened to sink the race. Remaining legal challenges, over such matters as Alinghi unilaterally setting the start time of the race at 10:06 Monday 8 February were put to rest by the International Jury Wednesday 3 February, which said yes, Société Nautique de Genève (SNG) has the right to set the rules.
The five-person jury early Wednesday refused several challenges from BMW Oracle to what the SNG argues are its rights to set the rules. The Geneva-based SNG, home to Alinghi, holds the Deed of Gift, which traditionally gives the bulk of decision-making power to the defending champion.
Alinghi on the water in Valencia, 1 February 2010 (photo: ©2010 George Johns/Alinghi)
One of the BMW Oracle objections concerns dumping substances in the sea while racing. The jury refused the San Francisco-based team’s objections to rules for this, it emphasized that all applicable laws apply during the race.
Weather will ultimately determine if the race begins on time. The weather forecast for Monday and Tuesday: 8-20C, 20 percent chance of rain and winds picking up from 10kph Sunday night to 21-25kph.
Links to other sites: Alinghi, BMW Oracle
Alinghi in November 2009
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Sailing’s biggest race might just happen after all: Alinghi and the Société Nautique de Genève have published the draft Sailing Instructions and Notice of Race for the 33rd American’s Cup. The race opens 8 February in Valencia, Spain. The two published draft documents have been sent to the BMW Oracle team, against whom Alinghi is expected to race. The two have been locking in legal battles for several months over a number of issues, including the size and other details for the boats.
The draft Notice of Race provides details for the boats in section 7.
Draft Sailing Instructions, America’s Cup 2010 and Notice of Race
Alinghi 5 sailing first time, 20 July 2009
Photos, ©Carlo Borlenghi/Alinghi (click on images to view larger)
Le Bouveret, Valais, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The long-awaited new Alinghi sailcraft hit the water at the eastern end of Lake Geneva today to much excitement: the weather was glorious, and legal tussles faded into the background as the magnificent-looking boat had its maiden sail. The Swiss America’s Cup Defender, Alinghi 5, was watched by hundreds of spectators as it went out on Lake Geneva, Switzerland, for the first time at noon, Monday 20 July.
The boat is a 90 foot multihull which took 100,000 man-hours to build. It was put on the lake 9 July and its first foray onto the lake today was in a light 5-7 ESE ‘Vauderon’, according to the Swiss weather service, Meteoswiss.
Strategist Murray Jones, who is running the trials on the new boat, said afterwards:
Besancon, France (GenevaLunch) - The 14th stage of the Tour de France was overshadowed by the death of a 61-year-old woman who was struck by a police motorcyclist as she crossed the road during the passage of the race. It is the first death of a race spectator since 2000. The accident took place near Wittelsheim. Two other spectators, injured when the bike slid into them, were taken by helicopter to a hospital in Mulhouse.
Central France (GenevaLunch) – Mark Cavendish won his third sprint of the 2009 Tour, ably assisted by his Columbia teammates. A group of four riders, including three French, led a break-away group but they were overhauled in the last few kilometres, setting the stage for the final sprint. When it comes to sprinting there is not much doubt about who is fastest, at least according to Cavendish:
