Christmas holiday traffic is upon us! Weather forecast, resort updates, traffic planning alerts
Skier Lara Gut signs with new sports agency
Photos by Keepps on flickr, Nyon 17 December 2010 set
Nyon, early Friday morning 17 December (photo, Keepps on flickr)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – School ends for the Christmas break in neighbouring France Friday 17 December and in some German states, while Vaud and Geneva finish at the end of the school day Thursday 23 December (complete list of Swiss school vacation dates) – note corrected dates. The mountains have snow; the snow cover is not deep, but more is promised. Expect traffic on the roads! The women’s World Cup ski season will see some chilly racing this weekend in neighbouring France’s Val d’Isère resort, with temperatures at -10C Friday morning and -14 at nearby Tignes. The snow is in good condition, with 103cm at the top and 40 at 1,850 metres.
Swiss skier Lara Gut announced Friday noon that she has signed a contract with a new Swiss agency, Pool Position, to help develop her reputation nationally and internationally. “This close collaboration, coordinated by my private team, will ensure how my reputation is built, both as an athlete and a private individual.”
Pool Position is a recently developped partnership, based in Zurich, between Ringier, Switzerland’s largest media company, and the German firm Kick-Media AG. The company advises clients in several fields: film, TV, theatre, fashion, music, sports and show business.
Gut was suspended for two races at the end of December for repeatedly ignoring warnings about wearing team clothing and for publicly criticizing the Swiss women’s team coach. She performed well during pre-race runs Thursday, coming in 8th overall and first for the Swiss. She is making her comeback this season after a hip injury followed by surgery last season. Val d’Isère is where Gut charmed the sports world in February, winning two World Cup silver medals at only age 17.
Weather forecast
Snow that began falling 16 December is expected to end by noon Friday in most areas, continuing a bit longer in the Jura and Swiss Alps. Saturday: changeable weather, but cold, ranging from -8C to a high of -1C on the plain and -16C to -7C in mountain resorts. Sunday: warmer, highs around 0C, with snow starting again, but the snowline gradually rising to 500-800 metres. GenevaLunch weather page
Winter resort news
Swiss snow forecast, road alerts, Anzere traffic change, kids’ competitions this winter
La Loge at Crozet, Jura, 24 November 2010 (photo, Jean Charles and Pauline Cusin)
Update 13:20 Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - It’s official: time to pull out those skis and head for the Jura slopes, or tuck up inside and light a fire, because this weekend will be cold and wintry. MeteoSwiss (see GenevaLunch weather pages) is predicting highs of 1 to 2C throughout central and western Switzerland, with sun alternating with snow.
New booklet helps winter sports fans shift to public transport
Leisure time activities account for a hefty part of road use in Switzerland. ATE, Association Transport & Environnement, has just published an excellent guide to using public transport for winter sports, with details for the time it takes, how to best get there, equipment rental and more for each Swiss resort. The guide is an excellent resource and good addition to the information available about winter sports (Fre, Ger, Ita).
Winter roads: reminder from Vaud that conditions can dictate legal speed
If you don’t yet have your winter tires on the car, don’t delay, as snow as low as the plains makes for slippery driving, Canton Vaud’s highway department reminds drivers they are legally obliged to drive at lower speeds when road conditions, such as ice and snow, call for it.
Cantonal road authorities say they replenished their stock of salt this summer, but if the winter is a tough one, supplies in Europe are likely to run short.
Road clearing times, list of Vaud closed roads
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La Faucille, Jura (photo, ©2010: Shirley Curran)
Geneva / Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Snow began to make a serious appearance in the Swiss Alps and the Jura mountains over the weekend, leaving the first layers that are needed for a good skiing base. Jura skiers were already out Saturday and Sunday 20-21 November, at La Faucille. Cross-country skiers from the Lausanne area began training, while in Saas-Fee early season skiers have been having fun for a couple weeks.
GenevaLunch Friday 3 December begins its popular Friday winter weather and snow sports reports. Here’s a warm-up:
Geneva has a skiing first!
The Monts Jura will be hosting a women’s event, the FIS Coupe d’Europe de Ski Alpin Dames. This major event in the skiing calendar is coming to Geneva for the first time. The success of the Monts Jura resort in hosting the French championship competitions in 2009 and 2010 encouraged the European cup organizers to plan one stage of their competition there. The Swiss Ski Federation will be organizing Friday’s Super-Géant race and the French Ski Federation the Super-Combiné on Saturday in Crozet-Lélex, less than half an hour from the centre of Geneva.
Exceptionally, on Friday 11 February, skiers will be able to buy their day pass for 1€ at the Crozet lift. Pedestrians will be able to watch 140 world class skiers, travelling via Lélex on the Friday and the Saturday, also for 1€. Details on the Monts Jura web site.
Winter tires and chains reminder
Vercorin, canton Valais, Switzerland 21 November 2010, snowy peaks above village
Winter tires are not obligatory in Switzerland, but if you are in an accident and your summer tires or winter tires with worn treads are considered a factor, your insurance company and the judge might see fit to give you the bill.
France does not require them either, although some mountain districts do. Austria and Italy are the same. Winter tires are obligatory in Germany.
Make an appointment now, if you don’t yet have winter tires or want someone to change them for you, as garages get very busy with this work by the end of November.
Bangladesh will face Pakistan on the 16th Asian Games women’s final 19 November.
China, the host country, was defeated by Bangladesh 17 November on a nine-wicket, while Pakistan defeated Japan, also on nine wickets, 16 November.
Links to other sites: Malaysia Star, official website of the 16th Asian Games
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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.
Lucerne’s marathon and half-marathon.
Location: Lucerne, Switzerland
Link out: http://www.lucernemarathon.ch
Date: 31 Oct 2010
Location: Geneva
Start date: 30 Oct 2010
End date: 31 Oct 2010
Hong Su Jong North Korean athlete suspended - Photo FIG
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - North Korean gymnast Hong Su Jong and her fellow teammates have been barred by the Lausanne-based International Gymnastics Federation, IFG, from competing at the Artistic World Championships in Rotterdam for allegedly lying about her age.
The North Koreans have been barred from competing during the next 30 days which will prevent Hong and the rest of the team from competing in Rotterdam next week. The federation may not participate at any national event either.
The decision handed down on 7 October, says the North Koreans claimed three different years of birth for Hong during the 2004 Olympic games, the 2006 world championships and at the Asian games the same year, and at the world championships in 2007 and 2010.
The athletes have five days to appeal the IFG’s decision.
A guided-, themed-hike sponsored by the Swiss Society of Historical Guides. An almost 4 hour hike.
Location: Marin, Neuchatel
Link out: http://www.asgip.ch/27-198-A_la_poursuite_de_la…
Date: 23 Oct 2010
Dan Fritsche - Image via Wikipedia, user Resolute
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The Geneva-Servette hockey team announced it has hired Dan Fritsche, 25, an Ohio-born, former New York Ranger striker, to play with the Eagles through 2013.
In a written statement, Chris McSorley General Manager of the club, said he’s happy Fritsche, now a naturalized Swiss citizen, picked Geneva to begin his European career.
“We believe that our style well matches his playing style. His energy, and passion will soon make him one of the public’s favorites.”
Fritsche first began to play hockey in the Ticino where his uncle, John, played for HC Lugano and HC Ambri-Piotta; the uncle also played for the US national team during the 1990 World Hockey Championship. Dan Fritsche’s brother, Tom, currently plays with the Colorado Avalanche in the US.
Here’s a good excuse to take off for Paris in the TGV: The New York Knicks vs The Minnesota Timberwolves, must see it to believe it!
Location: Paris, France
Link out: http://www.mosaicodiffusion.com/events.php?Cat=…
Date: 6 Oct 2010
According to All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF), “the concept of Kendo is to discipline the human character through the application of the principle of the Katana (sword)”.
Organizers in Carouge promise an English play-by-play explanation to those new to the sport.
Location: Carouge
Link out: http://www.kendo-geneve.ch/?page_id=38
Start date: 25 Sep 2010
End date: 26 Sep 2010
The United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG) is organizing, together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP), Mandat International and the Geneva Welcome Center, a friendly football (soccer) match to mark the International Day of Peace, the start of the International Year of Youth and the “Stand Up Against Poverty” campaign.
The match will take place on Friday, 17 September from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Stade de Varembé (Rue de Vermont, 33). A team composed of diplomats from Permanent Missions in Geneva and staff members of United Nations agencies in Geneva will play against a team of local high-school students.
Location: Stade de Varembe, Geneva
Link out: http://www.unog.ch/80256EDD006B9C2E/%28httpNews…
Date: 17 Sep 2010
Start time: 12:00
The largest freestyle sporting event in Europe. International superstars perform daring tricks and provide thrilling action during the competition.
Location: Zurich
Link out: http://mag.freestyle.ch/
Start date: 25 Sep 2010
End date: 26 Sep 2010
Sion, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – A 14-year-old girl died in hospital after sustaining head injuries from an accident during training as part of the Russian junior snowboard team Friday morning 3 September. She was wearing a helmet and protective gear but apparently slipped while crossboarding and she landed on her head. She had trained on the course a number of times. Emergency teams immediately tried to revive her, without success, and she was rushed to the hospital in Visp, where she died.
Swiss play friendly against Australia, CFF announces additional trains for the Switzerland-England match
La Nati - The Swiss national football team
St Gallen, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) – Swiss coach Ottmar Hitzfeld says his team is ready to play the Australia Socceroos in a friendly tonight at 20:15, at the AFG Arena in St Gallen.
This is the first time that the Qantas Socceroos face Switzerland at senior international level, thus, the new Aussie coach Holger Osieck is ready to show his squad is ready to win.
Hitzfeld announced he will only keep Lichtsteiner, Grichting, Inler, Derdiyok and Frei for the friendly while trying seven new players. The game, says Hitzfeld, is only a rehearsal for Switzerland’s first qualifying match for the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup which the Nati will play next week against England.
The Swiss railroad system, CFF, announced that on 7 September, 13 additional trains will carry football fans directly to St Jakob Park in Basel before the game.
After the match ends, buses will transport fans back to the station where additional trains to Bern, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne, Neuchatel, St Gallen and Zurich will be dispatched.
All football ticket holders can ride free of charge in Basel’s municipal transport system four hours before and after the game.
The qualifying stage for the 2012 Cup begins today 3 September throughout Europe.
Federer in top form at the US Open - Photo Rob Loud/US Open
(GenevaLunch.com) – Swiss tennis players Roger Federer and Patty Schnyder have reached the third round at the US Open.
Federer won 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 over Andreas Beck of Germany. He will now play Paul-Henri Mathieu of France.
“It’s the perfect start, sure. I played Monday, had two days off. I had another easy one physically today, and here I am in the third round feeling like I’m completely in the tournament,” Federer said.
On the women’s side, Patty Schnyder, now ranked 51, won over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez from Spain 7-6, 6-4.
Schnyder’s reached quarterfinals at the US Open only twice in 1998 and 2008.
Two other Swiss, Stanislas Wawrinka and Marco Chiudinelli play on 3 September.
The brouhaha in the world of cricket over possible match fixing appears to be spilling over into the cinema world, with an Indian film producer saying he may not be able to use Mohammed Asif, one of three players named in the unfolding spot fixing scandal. Asif is scheduled to play a Pakistani cricket coach who travels to India to teach, reports Samaa TV in Pakistan.
Swiss / international sports, football
La Nati - The Swiss national football team
Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Switzerland is ready to face England in its first qualifying game for the Euro 2012. Ottmar Hitzfeld has announced the players who will carry La Nati through a friendly against Australia 3 September, and against England 7 September.
Among Hitzfeld’s new picks is Scott Sutter, an English-Swiss defender.
The 24-year-old says he is proud to be nominated: “I have lived in Switzerland for eight-and-a-half years, it is my homeland now. This nomination is even more special since I will play the country where I spent the first years of my life,” said Sutter referring to the game against England. (Tickets are on sale now.)
Swiss captain Alexander Frei, largely absent during the World Cup, is back after recovering from injury. Veteran player Philippe Senderos, however, is out after rupturing an Achilles tendon.
The qualifying stage for the 2012 UEFA Euro Cup begins 3 September throughout Europe.
For the Swiss and English teams, which compete in group G, it begins 7 September when they face each other off in Basel at St-Jacques Park at 20:45.
Bulgaria, Montenegro and Wells round up the five teams in the group.
List of players Read more…
Sports event for juvenile diabetics grows in popularity
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Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) - The international football Junior Cup Diabetes ended Sunday in Geneva with Spain (kids), Great Britain (junior) and Slovakia (senior) the winners in the competition that brought together 230 young people with diabetes.
This was the fourth annual event, with competitors from 16 countries, and nearly twice the number of athletes that the first event attracted in 2007.
“This tournament proves that diabetes is no hindrance to sport. It’s just the opposite,” says Michel Pont, assistant trainer of the Swiss National Soccer Team.
“Doing sports helps to rise above the disease and confers positive energy.”
The tournament was organized by a group of companies involved in diabetes treatments, one of which is Medtronic, based in Tolochenaz; international diabetes organizations; and a number of other groups, including medical researchers, the HUG university hospitals in Geneva, the Philias Foundation for corporate social responsibility and the Theodora Foundation, which works closely with hospitals and other groups that treat sick children and those with chronic diseases.
Bout du Monde winners
Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – American athletes dominated the Weltklasse Diamond League competition on 19 August.
Jeremy Wariner of the US won the 400 metres, while fellow American David Oliver maintained his unbeaten record in the 110 hurdles this season.
Veronica Campbell-Brown of Jamaica won – by photo finish – the women’s 100 metres, while Lisa Urech and Irène Pusterla of Switzerland obtained third place in the 100m hurdles and the long jump respectively.
Sixteen athletes in all received their first Diamond Race trophy.
List of results: TSR carries the complete list of winners (Fre), and the Weltklasse Zurich carries a partial list in English.
Lionel Regal, who died 15 August in Jura, Switzerland
(video) St Ursanne, Jura, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) – Hill-climb is one of the least known of motorsports, so the death of Lionel Régal, five-time French champion and 2008 European champion, on a slippery road in western Switzerland Sunday, did not make the kind of headlines that any F1 crash would. But kudos continue to stream in for the 35-year-old from Lyons, France, widely considered a brilliant driver, a likeable sportsman, and the driver of reference in uphill mountain motor racing.
He died instantly when his car hit a tree after slipping on a rain-drenched road. Hill-climb drivers run on roads that are normally open to regular traffic (closed for the race day), and that therefore have few guard rails and no tire barriers. They can get up to speeds well over 200 kph, depending on the course.
The St Ursanne course counts for the European championship.
Auto123, which says the “highly talented 35-year-old driver will be sorely missed”, describes the sport: “The objective is to drive up a mountain road closed to public traffic, such as the famous Pikes Peak in the USA.
The runs of competitor are timed. Most competitors drive rally cars while others, such as Regal find their rush of adrenaline behind the wheel of a nimble put very powerful single seater.”
His father Marc, also a racer and a pioneer in Formule 3000 cars, was killed during a race in southern France 28 September 1997.
Obituary, Regal team site and large collection of photos by Clement Luck
Video of his 2009 run on the St Ursanne course in 2009
A contest open to all, from kids to parents and pro-athletes.
Location: Chéserex, Vaud
Link out: http://www.vtt-barillette.ch/
Date: 29 Aug 2010
This is the Alpine version of indoor wrestling. In Aargau, men, and a few girls, of all sizes wrestle outdoors while the whole village cheers them on! See the video.
Location: Frauenfeld, Switzerland
Link out: http://mct.sbb.ch/mct/fr/reiselust/freizeit/mes…
Start date: 20 Aug 2010
End date: 22 Aug 2010
La Nati - The Swiss national football team
Austria (GenevaLunch.com) – Switzerland’s last warm-up for the Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, ended well after the Swiss beat Austria 1-0 in a friendly match.
Moreno Costanzo,22, scored the sole goal in a game where Switzerland clearly dominated, but was constantly unable to convert.
Several Swiss debutantes were lined up by coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.
Hitzfeld said he was “happy to have won,” and added, “in the last few years we hadn’t seen much success.”
“We played well, we were well organized,” Hitzfeld said after the match.
It was the final friendly for both teams before the start of their 2012 European championship qualifying campaigns.
Switzerland will now take on England in Group G in Basel on 7 September.
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Switzerland Lineup: Diego Benaglio, Francois Affolter, Stephan Lichtsteiner, Stephane Grichting (replaced by Mario Eggimann), Reto Ziegler, Xherdan Shaqiri (replaced by Marco Padalino), Pirmin Schwegler (replaced by Gelson Fernandes), Gokhan Inler, Valentin Stocker (replaced by Albert Bunjaku), Hakan Yakin (replaced by Moreno Costanzo), Eren Derdiyok (replaced by Nassim Ben Khalifa).
International football star David Beckham,35, has been cast-off by Italian coach Fabio Capello as “too old to play” for the English squad.
Capello who said so to the international press seemed to have forgotten to let Beckham in on his plans.
“I’m sure someone will have phoned him now. We tried to speak to him but we couldn’t. I will speak to him soon.”
Capello said Beckham could play once more for England at Wembley so fans could pay tribute to the ex-skipper.
Additional details: The Telegraph, Fifa
Toronto, Canada (GenevaLunch) – Swiss tennis ace Roger Federer is back in the game and in top shape. Federer beat Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 7-6(7), 6-3 at the Rogers Cup in Toronto.
Federer, currently the world’s number three, became the all-time leader at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000. Andre Agassi had held the record from 1990 to 2006 with a 209-73 mark.
“I felt like I had to win the game three times” said Federer who considers normal being a bit “rusty.” This was his first game after a month-long break. “It was a bit of a dog fight,” he added.
Exercise, have fun, learn some history, that is what the Agsip offers in a three-hour water excursion to explorers of all ages. Pre-registration required.
Location: Morges, Vaud
Link out: http://www.asgip.ch/?id=27&news=204&a…
Date: 13 Aug 2010
International sports, Euro 2012 football
Basel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) - Switzerland will play its first two Euro 2012 qualifying games in Basel against England 7 September at 20:45, and against Wales 12 October at 20:30 at the Saint-Jacques park.
Tickets per package are for sale now and range between CHF120 and CHF230, but are only CHF60 for those age 16 and under.
Pre-sales will be made through Ticketcorner or by telephone at: 0900 800 800 (CHF 1.19/minute).
On the second day of the Asia Cup India defeated Bangladesh during a hard-fought opener. The 16 June game was won by 6 wickets by India and with 19.2 overs to spare.
Score: Bangladesh 167 in 34.5 overs.
Links to: Hindustan Times, Asia Cup Cricket 2010
