La face de Bellevarde is a World Cup downhill ski course in France, on Rocher de Bellevarde mountain in Val-d'Isère, Savoie; it debuted at the 1992 Winter Olympics with the men's downhill.
It is only about kilometres up the road from "Piste Oreiller-Killy" in La Daille, another legendary course with a lengthier World Cup tradition.
With 24.7 degrees (46%) incline, not counting the full dowhnill course, it is by far the world's steepest giant slalom and course in general in average gradient, with no flat sections, only steepness the whole time.
This competition is known as the Critérium of the First Snow (Critérium de la première neige).
History The course was developed for the 1992 Winter Olympics, designed by Swiss Olympic downhill champion Bernhard Russi, a respected constructor of downhill slopes around the world. The official opening was planned for late 1991 with two World Cup events, but the course was not yet finished. Both were moved to the nearby Oreiller-Killy course, and held on 7–8 December.
The Bellevarde course was officially opened two months later at the Olympics with the men's downhill competition; later events on the slope included combined, super-G, and giant slalom.
Near the end of 1992, the World Cup circuit premiered on this course with Super-G and slalom events on 6–7 December; the downhill was cancelled due to poor weather conditions. In February 2008, World Cup races returned after an absence of more than fifteen years; it became a regular host on the men's calendar, rarely exchanged with Oreiller-Killy.
A year later in February 2009, Val d'Isere hosted its first World Championships. All of the men's events and the women's technical events (GS, SL) were held on the Bellevarde slope; the team event was cancelled.
Course sections from GS start Passage de la Rute Le Rocher Slalom Start Le Mur Le Stade Olympique La Flamme
Olympics
Men's events EventTypeDateGoldSilverBronze 1992 DH9 February 1992 Patrick Ortlieb Franck Piccard Günther Mader KB10–11 February 1992 Josef Polig Gianfranco Martin Steve Locher SG16 February 1992 Kjetil André Aamodt Marc Girardelli Jan Einar Thorsen GS18 February 1992 Alberto Tomba Marc Girardelli Kjetil André Aamodt
World Championships
Men's events EventTypeDateGoldSilverBronze 2009 SG4 February 2009 Didier Cuche Peter Fill Aksel Lund Svindal DH7 February 2009 John Kucera Didier Cuche Carlo Janka SC9 February 2009 Aksel Lund Svindal Julien Lizeroux Natko Zrnčić-Dim GS13 February 2009 Carlo Janka Benjamin Raich Ted LigetySL15 February 2009 Manfred Pranger Julien Lizeroux Michael Janyk
Women's events EventTypeDateGoldSilverBronze 2009 GS12 February 2009 Kathrin Hölzl Tina Maze Tanja Poutiainen SL15 February 2009 Maria Riesch Šárka Záhrobská Tanja Poutiainen
Team event Poor weather conditions. EventTypeDateGoldSilverBronze 2009 PG11 February 2009 cancelled due to heavy snowfall over the night
World Cup It is part of traditional annual "Critérium of the First Snow" (Critérium de la première neige) competition. Bernhard Russi (SUI)Marcel Hirscher (AUT) The course constructorwon record 5 giant slalomsand 2 slaloms
Men TypeSeasonDateWinnerSecondThird DH 1991/92 7 December 1991 course was not yet ready for scheduled premiere; replaced on nearby Oreiller-Killy courseSG 8 December 1991 DH1992/93 4 December 1992 downhill cancelled due to poor weather conditions762 SG 5 December 1992 Jan Einar Thorsen Franz Heinzer Luigi Colturi763 SL 6 December 1992 Thomas Fogdö Thomas Sykora Hubert Strolz DH 2007/08 2 February 2008 replaced in Kvitfjell on 29 February 20081325 SC 3 February 2008 Bode Miller Ivica Kostelić Natko Zrnčić-Dim1345 SC 2008/09 12 December 2008 Benjamin Raich Jean-Baptiste Grange Marcel Hirscher 1346 GS 13 December 2008 Carlo Janka Massimiliano Blardone Gauthier de Tessières SL 14 December 2008 strong winds; replaced in Alta Badia on 22 December 20081381 SC 2009/10 11 December 2009 Benjamin Raich Marcel Hirscher Manfred Mölgg Romed Baumann1382 SG 12 December 2009 Michael Walchhofer Ted Ligety Werner Heel1383 GS 13 December 2009 Marcel Hirscher Massimiliano Blardone Benjamin Raich1413 GS 2010/11 11 December 2010 Ted Ligety Aksel Lund Svindal Massimiliano Blardone1414 SL 12 December 2010 Marcel Hirscher Benjamin Raich Steve Missillier GS 2011/12 10 December 2011 lack of snow; replaced in Beaver Creek on 6 December 2011SL 11 December 2011 lack of snow; replaced in Beaver Creek on 8 December 20111495 SL 2012/13 8 December 2012 Alexis Pinturault Felix Neureuther Marcel Hirscher1496 GS 9 December 2012 Marcel Hirscher Stefan Luitz Ted Ligety1529 GS 2013/14 14 December 2013 Marcel Hirscher Thomas Fanara Stefan Luitz1530 SL 15 December 2013 Mario Matt Mattias Hargin Patrick Thaler GS 2014/15 13 December 2014 lack of snow; replaced in Åre on 12 December 2014SL 14 December 2014 lack of snow; replaced in Åre on 14 December 20141599 GS 2015/16 12 December 2015 Marcel Hirscher Felix Neureuther Victor Muffat-Jeandet1600 SL 13 December 2015 Henrik Kristoffersen Marcel Hirscher Felix Neureuther1642 GS 2016/17 10 December 2016 Alexis Pinturault Marcel Hirscher Henrik Kristoffersen1643 SL 11 December 2016 Henrik Kristoffersen Marcel Hirscher Aleksandr Khoroshilov1679 GS 2017/18 9 December 2017 Alexis Pinturault Stefan Luitz Marcel Hirscher1680 SL 10 December 2017 Marcel Hirscher Henrik Kristoffersen André Myhrer1715 GS2018/19 8 December 2018 Marcel Hirscher Henrik Kristoffersen Matts Olsson SL 9 December 2018 heavy snowfall and wind; replaced in Saalbach-Hinterglemm on 20 December 2018GS 2019/20 14 December 2019 moved on 15th due to weather, then finally cancelled; replaced in Hinterstoder on 1 March 20201754 SL 15 December 2019 Alexis Pinturault André Myhrer Stefano Gross1824 GS 2021/22 11 December 2021 Marco Odermatt Alexis Pinturault Manuel Feller 1825 SL 12 December 2021 Clément Noël Kristoffer Jakobsen Filip Zubčić1860 GS 2022/23 10 December 2022 Marco Odermatt Manuel Feller Žan Kranjec 1861 SL 11 December 2022 Lucas Braathen Manuel Feller Loïc Meillard1894 GS 2023/24 9 December 2023 Marco Odermatt Marco Schwarz Joan Verdú SL 10 December 2023 cancelled due to wet snow and strong wind1934 GS 2024/25 14 December 2024 Marco Odermatt Patrick Feurstein Stefan Brennsteiner 1935 SL 15 December 2024 Henrik Kristoffersen Atle Lie McGrath Loïc Meillard1973 GS 2025/26 13 December 2025 Loïc Meillard Luca Aerni Marco Odermatt 1974 SL 14 December 2025 Timon Haugan Loïc Meillard Henrik Kristoffersen
References
External links Val d’Isère Ski area ValdIsere.com Piste Map – Val d’Isère ValdIsere.com Val d’Isère La Face de Bellevarde danslestracesdeschampions-eurosport.canalsat.fr The Bellevarde Face worldcup-ValdIsere.com History worldcup-ValdIsere.com